India Releases First Satellite-Tagged
Ganges Softshell Turtle in Kaziranga
¨ India released its first
satellite-tagged Ganges Softshell Turtle on 15 May 2026 in Kaziranga National
Park and Tiger Reserve.
¨
The event was organised
on the occasion of Endangered Species Day.
¨
Endangered Species Day is
observed every year on 15 May.
¨
The species is Nilssonia
gangetica, a freshwater turtle found in river systems of the Indian subcontinent.
¨
The Ganges Softshell
Turtle belongs to the Trionychidae family.
¨
The Trionychidae family
includes freshwater softshell turtles.
¨ It is listed as an
endangered species on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN).
¨ The species is found in
rivers, floodplains, and large freshwater wetlands across South Asia.
¨
Satellite tagging
involves attaching a transmitter to an animal to record its movement and
location data.
¨
In this case, the
transmitter was attached under veterinary supervision before the turtle was
released on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River.
¨ The tagging helps track
habitat use, migration routes, and seasonal behaviour of the animal.
¨ Kaziranga National Park
and Tiger Reserve covers an area of 1,302 square kilometres in Assam.
¨
The protected area is
known for its grasslands, wetlands, and riverine habitats.
¨ Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under UNESCO.
¨ It is a major habitat for the one-horned rhinoceros, Asian elephant, swamp deer, and Bengal tiger.
