Overview
- The endangered freshwater turtle, released Friday in Kaziranga National Park, carries a satellite transmitter to start location tracking.
- A Wildlife Institute of India team led by Dr Abhijit Das ran the effort under the Environment Ministry with park and Assam forest staff, funded by the National Geographic Society.
- Researchers aim to chart seasonal movements, estimate home range, and pinpoint nesting and breeding areas to guide management across the Brahmaputra.
- Forest vets supervised the capture and tagging of a healthy adult before its release along the north bank of the Brahmaputra, with researchers and officials overseeing the process.
- The turtle is Endangered and protected under India’s top wildlife law, and Assam hosts rich turtle diversity with five softshell species in Kaziranga.