Assam releases 240 endangered black softshell turtle hatchlings

Two hundred and forty hatchlings of the critically endangered black softshell turtle, known locally as Bormuria kaso (Nilssonia nigricans), were released on Saturday, November 7, into a protected waterbody under the Biswanath Wildlife Division in Assam.

The release was organised by the Wildlife Survival Alliance Foundation India (WSAFI) with the Biswanath Wildlife Division, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and the Assam Forest Department, as part of a nearly decade-old project called Conservation and Recovery of Black Softshell Turtle in Assam. Northeast Now and an IANS report carried by Social News XYZ both described the release.

A species once written off

The black softshell turtle was declared extinct in the wild in the early 2000s. Sustained work has since rebuilt a stable population in the Brahmaputra-Kaziranga landscape, though the species is still listed as critically endangered.

Softshell turtles are sometimes called "water vultures" because they scavenge and help keep waterbodies clean, the reports said.

From temple pond to the wild

The historic Nagshankar Temple is central to the programme. In the nesting season of March and April, eggs are collected from the temple pond and taken to Biswanath Ghat for artificial incubation. That reduces losses to predators, especially mongooses, and raises the share of eggs that hatch.

The hatchlings emerge in July and August and are then moved to a grow-out facility, where they are reared for about three months and fed fresh small fish so they are heavier and likelier to survive once released.

Since 2021, WSAFI, formerly TSA Foundation India, has released more than 1,000 black softshell turtle hatchlings into the wild, both reports said.

Who attended

Naduar MLA Padma Hazarika attended the release, along with the Divisional Forest Officer of the Biswanath Wildlife Division, the range officer concerned, Nagshankar Temple Committee secretary Rajib Barua, and WSAFI's northeast project coordinator Upamanyu Chakraborty, as well as Aditya Dey and Krishna Das.

Guests were greeted with handwoven gamosas that carry turtle motifs. The gamosas were made by members of Kaso Sakhi, a local women's group supported by WSAFI as an alternative livelihood, intended to give families income that does not depend as heavily on the river.

The latest release adds to a long-running effort that mixes temple cooperation, scientific incubation and community work. The reports said it has renewed hope that the species can keep recovering in its natural habitat.