945 freshwater turtles recorded in Kaziranga along Brahmaputra River

Guwahati: A survey report from the 5th annual assessment of aquatic fauna along a 174-km stretch of the Brahmaputra River under the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, released on Saturday, documented 945 freshwater turtles belonging to seven species. The survey was conducted in two phases — Nov-Dec and Jan.A rapid boat survey carried out from Jan 14 to 18 covered the 174-km stretch of the Brahmaputra flowing through Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and recorded 876 hardshell turtles and 69 softshell turtles.The team reported 55 direct sightings of threatened hardshell turtles of the genus Pangshura, and 13 sightings of softshell turtles, including 4 critically endangered Black Softshell Turtles (Nilssonia nigricans) and 9 endangered Nilssonia gangetica turtles. Six nesting tracks of Pangshura species were also documented.The survey was conducted by KNPTR in collaboration with the India Turtle Conservation Programme, as part of its ongoing assessment of aquatic reptiles. “Conservation efforts for turtles in KNPTR, and Nagshankar Temple offer hope, and its record in the survey is a testament to the efforts,” said Sushmita Kar, project coordinator, northeast India, ITCP.