240 Black Softshell Turtle Hatchlings Released in Assam to Boost Conservation Efforts

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: In a major step towards the conservation and recovery of the rare Black Softshell Turtle, locally known as Bormuria Kaso (scientific name: Nilssonia nigricans), 240 hatchlings were released into a protected water body under the Biswanath Wildlife Division of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department.

According to sources at Kaziranga National Park, the release programme was organised as part of a nearly decade-long conservation project titled ‘Conservation and Recovery of Black Softshell Turtle in Assam’, initiated by the Wildlife Survival Alliance Foundation India (WSAFI) in collaboration with the Biswanath Wildlife Division, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and the forest department.

It may be mentioned that in the early 2000s, the species was declared Extinct in the Wild. However, sustained conservation efforts have helped establish a stable population of the species in the Brahmaputra-Kaziranga landscape. Despite this progress, the turtle continues to be listed as Critically Endangered.

The Nagshankar Temple has played a particularly important role in this conservation initiative. Every year, during the breeding season in March and April, turtle eggs are collected from the banks of the temple pond.

To protect the eggs from predators and improve hatching success, artificial incubation is carried out under controlled conditions at Biswanath Ghat.

After the hatchlings emerge in July and August, they are kept at a rearing centre for approximately three months, where they are fed small freshwater fish. This helps increase their body weight and prepares them for release into their natural habitat.

Since 2021, WSAFI, formerly known as TSA Foundation India, has released more than 1,000 Black Softshell Turtle hatchlings into natural habitats.

The guests at the event were felicitated with handwoven gamochas featuring turtle motifs, prepared by a women’s group named ‘Kachh Sakhi’, formed under WSAFI’s livelihood development initiative to create alternative sources of income for local women.

The primary objective of this initiative is to reduce dependence on river-based livelihoods and open up alternative income-generating opportunities for women.

The softshell turtles are often described as the ‘vultures of wetlands’ because of their important role in maintaining the ecological balance of aquatic ecosystems. By feeding on the remains of dead animals found in water bodies, these turtles help keep wetlands clean.

The initiative marks another significant milestone in the recovery of this rare turtle species, which had once nearly disappeared from the wild. It has also raised fresh hopes for securing the long-term survival of the species in its natural habitat.

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