World Turtle News, 01/06/2019

River terrapin: 50 to 300 in 10 years

The number of river terrapins was hardly 50 more than a decade ago and conservationists were worried the freshwater turtle would soon join the list of extinct animals.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) termed it “critically endangered”.

A breeding programme was started in the Sunderbans to increase their numbers. Today, there are 300 river terrapins and the forest department plans to release some of them in the waters of Sunderbans this year as part of its programme to save the animal and increase their population.

“The number of river terrapins had dipped and they were rarely seen. Around 2002, some fishermen in the Sunderbans rescued few terrapins,” Nilanjan Mallick, field director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve, said.

The breeding has been done in several places inside the reserve. “We now have 300 of them in our breeding centres,” Mallick said.

The Bengal forest department has undertaken the conservation and breeding programme with help from Turtle Survival Alliance, a global organisation that works for captive management of freshwater turtles and tortoises.

Click the link to read more…

CITES News

Five turtle species are up for “promotions” to CITES Appendix I from Appendix II.

Cuora bourreti
Cuora picturata
Geochelone elegans
Malacochersus tornieri
Mauremys annamensis

The complete list is here

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Health & Medical

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Miscellany

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Question or Concerns? Want to submit an article to get posted? Email us at [email protected].

Photo from Shailendra Singh/TSA India.

WTN Editor

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