85 protected turtles from Maharashtra have reached UP to lead a free life
India

85 protected turtles from Maharashtra have reached UP to lead a free life

Endangered turtles were rescued from poachers; then taught to survive in the wild by the Maharashtra government, RESQ CT.

   

One of the 85 protected Indian turtles | By special arrangement

New Delhi: Long victims of an illegal wildlife trade, 85 protected Indian turtles have safely travelled with Pune animal rescue organisation RESQ Charitable Trust to the Gharial Rescue Centre in Lucknow to be released in the wild.

The reptiles will be acclimatised and released in about two weeks by the global organisation for turtle conservation, Turtle Survival Alliance, and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

These turtles were rescued over the last few years by the Maharashtra Forest Department and multiple organisations from Thane, Pune and Nashik.

A state-wide drive in 2021 saw these turtles collected at the Reptile Transit Unit in the RESQ Wildlife Transit Treatment Centre in Pune.

The Reptile Transit Unit is a collaborative initiative between the Maharashtra Forest Department and the RESQ CT.

The animals were quarantined and screened for infections. They were then grouped according to species and placed in suitable housing conditions where they were made to slowly transition off their captive diets. They were exposed to different types of weather conditions and the turtles who survived all this were deemed fit for repatriation.

The 85 turtles comprised the Black Spotted Pond Turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), the Indian Roof Turtle (Pangshura tecta), the Tricarinate Hill Turtle (Melanochelys tricarinata) and the Indian Tent Turtle (Pangshura tentoria).

All of them, except the Indian Tent Turtle, are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are also protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

These turtles have their distribution in the Ganga River Basin and hence it was necessary to quarantine, rehabilitate and stabilise them before they could be reintroduced to their natural habitat in Uttar Pradesh.

The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network or TRAFFIC’s latest analysis has found that at least 1,11,312 tortoises and freshwater turtles were illegally traded in India between September 2009 and September 2019. That would mean more than 11,000 individual animals fell victim to poachers every year since 2009.

Illegal wildlife trade causes the depletion of biodiversity and has been responsible for the introduction of invasive species like the Red-eared sliders in India, altering and introducing diseases and severely compromising individual welfare during the animal’s capture and transport.

Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) in Maharashtra, Sunil Limaye, said: “India has the highest number of chelonian species, making it one of the most vulnerable groups for illegal trade – fuelled by the demand of keeping turtles and tortoises as pets. In Maharashtra, several batches have been seized by our officers while being trafficked.”

He said the Reptile Transit Unit‘s goal was to provide a “systematic solution” to ensuring that wildlife seized from illegal trade and trafficking were being managed efficiently until their final destination – transfer, release or repatriation. He added: “With so much effort being put in by Neha Panchamia and the entire RESQ team for the collection, rehabilitation and transport of the animals, the Maharashtra Forest Department liaised with our UP counterparts who too were very supportive in accepting the turtles for release there.”

The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) team, led by Dr Shailendra Singh and Arunima Singh along with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, will in two weeks enable the process of reintroducing them to their natural habitat.

The work of the RTU, Pune

After the state-wide collection in 2021, turtles are regularly transferred to the RTU by the forest department and other NGOs.

The frequency of release and transfer is planned and executed annually or bi-annually, based on the ideal release time after rehabilitation. In case the number of turtles and tortoises exceeds the housing capacity, additional release batches are planned for.

Once admitted in the RTU facility, the turtles and tortoises are segregated by species, batch, age and size.

For release within Maharashtra, suitable locations are identified and vetted based on the known presence and distribution of the species by coordinating with local forest departments, wildlife experts and researchers.

For release outside Maharashtra, RESQ and the forest department get in touch with other states and NGOs.

RESQ CT Field Director, Tuhin Satarkar, said, “It is better to give them all a second shot at the wild. The fittest will survive compared to 100% of them spending their lifetimes in captivity. We put in a lot of effort at the RESQ to ensure they stand the best chance to survive. This is possible today thanks to the incredible support from Maharashtra and UP forest departments and other organisations involved in the rescue and final release of these animals. In the past year, we have rehabilitated over 200+ turtles and continue doing so.”

More about TSA

TSA works across several states in India, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and recently Karnataka. They have successfully reintroduced over 8000+ turtles into natural and safe habitats over the past five years.

TSA Director Dr Shailendra Singh, also said enhanced detection and patrolling had gradually brought down poaching. He said: “Finding suitable habitats in protected areas is one of the biggest challenges of reintroduction. With our observations over the years, we can say that about 60% of the turtles survive in the wild.”

Neha Panchamia is Founder and President, RESQ Charitable Trust. She tweets @NehaPanchamia.Views are personal.