PHNOM PENH -- At least 30 royal baby turtles, once thought extinct, have hatched in Cambodia, significantly boosting population numbers, officials said Tuesday.

The baby turtles, which live in the Sre Ambel River and are scientifically known as the esturine terrapin, hatched from 68 eggs laid by adult turtles in southern Koh Kong Province.

"We are very happy with that news," said Koh Kong Provincial Head of Agriculture Houn Phoung.

Six nests have been fenced-off but two nests of eggs have not hatched because they were submerged under water.

Currently, about 50 adult turtles are believed to be in the area.

The turtles, locally referred to as "Ondaerk Luong (royal turtle)" or "Ondaerk Sar Say", weigh up to 31 kilograms once fully grown and were believed to be extinct for more than a century until a discovery last year along the Sre Ambel River.

Once considered the exclusive property of Cambodia's royal family, adult turtles were protected by royal decree.

However, hunting for turtle eggs, particularly along the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, led to their disappearance.

Houn Phoung said historically villagers did not kill the turtles for food because they believed it would result in bad luck.

"Local villagers believed the turtles were normal people and if they ate the royal turtles then they would have unfortunate lives," Houn Phoung said.

But he added that due to a sharp increase in the human population in the area, this belief had changed.

"Some villagers now eat the royal turtle," AFP quoted Houn Phoung as saying.

The last recorded sighting, before last year's discovery, was made by French explorer Auguste Pivie in the 1890s.