The black softshell turtle had been declared extinct in the wild approximately 17 years ago, but it might have a good chance at recovery after a centuries-old Hindu temple in India devoted its efforts to helping the tiny reptilian creature make a fantastic comeback.
Assam, once a paradise for freshwater turtles, has seen its turtle population drop because of habitat loss and its over-exploitation as a source of food.
That caused the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to declare the black softshell turtle extinct in the wild win 2002, while also classifying the Indian softshell and the Indian peacock softshell turtles as vulnerable.
However, this has not stopped the nature-loving caretakers at the Hayagriva Madhav temple from providing sanctuary to the lovely creatures in the temple’s ponds.
Residents are compelled to protect the species due to the sacred status accorded to them as a reincarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu.
The temple’s religious adherents collaborated with the conservation group Good Earth to nurture dozens of turtles in the temple’s ponds. The turtle’s population has now rebounded from its possible demise to far healthier numbers.
The conservationists helped breed the turtles by collecting newly-laid eggs from the grounds near the pond and warming them in an incubator to make sure that they hatch.
The joint efforts showed a notable degree of success in January 2019, when the group released 35 turtle hatchlings into the waters of a local wildlife sanctuary, sixteen of which were black softshell turtles reared by hand at the temple.
There remain challenges ahead, such as changes brought about by the immense popularity of the turtles, with hundreds of visitors who toss bread and other foods at the little reptiles.
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