The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, in collaboration with the India Turtle Conservation Programme, has completed the fifth consecutive annual survey of aquatic reptiles along the Brahmaputra river, with a special focus on freshwater turtles and tortoises.

The findings were released in a report titled “Assessment of diversity, abundance and habitats for freshwater turtles along the lower Brahmaputra river in Assam”.

Key findings of the survey

• The rapid boat survey was conducted from January 14 to 18, covering a 174 kilometre stretch of the Brahmaputra flowing through the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.
• A total of 945 freshwater turtles were recorded, belonging to seven species.
• These included 876 hardshell turtles and 69 softshell turtles.
• The survey documented 55 hardshell turtles of the genus Pangshura.
• Importantly, 13 softshell turtles were sighted, including four critically endangered black softshell turtles.

About black softshell turtle 

• • The black softshell turtle, 
  • The black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) is critically endangered and endemic to the Brahmaputra basin.
  • According to legend, Hazrat Bayezid Bostami brought these turtles from Iran to the shrine pond in Chittagong in the 1800s.
  • Over time, the turtles came to be revered as sacred, ensuring their protection through religious belief rather than law.
  • Native range:
    • India: Assam and Tripura
    • Bangladesh: Chittagong and Sylhet regions

• Conservation Status

• • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I (highest level of international trade protection)
  • It is not legally protected in India which is a major conservation concern.
• It faces serious threats from habitat loss, predation and overexploitation.
• In 2002, the species was declared Extinct in the Wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Surprisingly, living populations were later discovered in:
  • Hayagriva Madhava Temple Pond, Assam
  • Kalyan Sagar Lake, Tripura Sundari Temple, Udaipur (Tripura)
• These temple ponds functioned as informal community-conserved habitats.
• Subsequent habitat protection and conservation efforts helped ensure the species’ continued survival.

Exam Hook 

Consider the following statements:

1. The black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) is critically endangered and endemic to the Brahmaputra basin.
2. Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known only for terrestrial wildlife.
3. Community-managed sites like temple ponds can play a role in species conservation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: 1 and 3 only

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