85 rescued turtles to be released into wild

MUMBAI: A total of 85 protected turtles, which were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade over the last two to three years in Thane, Pune and Nashik districts, on Friday reached the Gharial Rescue Centre in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where they will be acclimated before being reintroduced to the wild in two weeks.

The specimens include endangered species such as the black spotted pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), the Indian roof turtle (Pangshura tecta), tricarinate hill turtle (Melanochelys tricarinata), and Indian tent turtles. Last year, as part of a state-wide effort to care for rescued turtles (which were being rehabilitated by various rescue organisations), these turtles were shifted from several locations to the reptile transit unit at the RESQ Wildlife Treatment Transit Centre in Pune.

“They were put through quarantine and screened for infections. They were grouped based on species and placed in suitable housing conditions where they slowly transitioned off their captive diets. They were exposed to different types of weather conditions and the ones who survived were deemed fit for repatriation,” RESQ Wildlife TTC said in a statement on Friday.

All of the rehabilitated species are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and their natural population distribution is scattered across the Ganga river basin in north India, where they will be reintroduced. However, their chances of survival in the wild are not optimistic. “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,” said Dr Shailendra Singh, director of Turtle Survival Alliance, India. Experts, however, say they are taking all precautions to ensure that the turtles have maximum chances of survival in the wild, including quarantining the specimens and screening them for illnesses which may hinder their ability to adapt in the wild.

RESQ CT INDIA X MAHARASHTRA FD All of the rehabilitated species are protected under schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972