Some 4,900 Yellow-spotted river turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) are released in the Igapo-Acu River in Beruri, Amazonas State, Brazil. The baby turtles are released into the wild, promoting environmental preservation in riverside communities in Amazonas. The project to protect the yellow-spotted river turtle is led by the research and extension program of the Federal University of Amazonas [Universidade Federal do Amazonas] and has already returned more than 70,000 turtles to the wild in its 10 years of existence. The yellow-spotted river turtle lives in many river basins in northern South America, including the Amazon River and the Orinoco River in Venezuela. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES