A total of 10 endangered captive raised Asian Giant Tortoises were reintroduced in a Community Reserve in Peren district of Nagaland through a community event by Nagaland State Forest Department and India Turtle Conservation Program on August 2.
Director, Nagaland Zoological Park, Zupeni Tsanglai, IFS said that these tortoises were bred and headstarted from a conservation colony at Nagaland Zoological Park which has India’s largest captive population of the species. These agencies are working to save this species from extinction through conservation breeding and reintroduction, backed by efforts to heighten the awareness of local communities to protect them in their native habitats.
“Asian Giant Tortoises, also known as the small Elephants of the Forests, help in seed dispersal and forest regeneration apart from scavenging to keep the forest floor clean”, said Shailendra Singh from ITCP.
The release event was attended by Wildlife Warden, Dimapur; Director, Nagaland Zoological Park; Divisional Forest Officer, Peren; Additional Deputy Commissioner, Peren; President, Nagaland Zeliang People Organisation among other invited guests. The site was selected after a thorough habitat suitability assessment across several potential areas of Nagaland.
Wildlife Warden Dimapur, Tokaho Kinimi, IFS said, “Other than National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, protected areas such as Community and Conservation Reserves in Nagaland have been performing quite well to preserve the forests and wildlife under joint leadership of the communities and the forest department.
The tortoises were released in a pre-constructed soft-release enclosure to help them to develop site fidelity before actual dispersal.
Protect Coordinator, ITCP, Sushmita Kar disclosed that the released tortoises are marked and tagged with VHF based telemetry system to study their dispersal and survival in deep rainforests. Once the pilot release is successful, more individuals will be released in this landscape to recover the decimated wild populations. Prior to transportation, the tortoises underwent comprehensive health checks and quarantine for over six months.
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DFO Peren, Chisayi informed that local youths from the community have been engaged by the project as “Tortoise Guardians” to ensure protection of the released tortoises and assist in data collection.
A Turtle and Tortoise corner at the community hall was inaugurated during the event which displays important awareness signages and the continuous efforts made by the locals to assist this project. Such community based and participatory initiatives mark an important milestone in the Naga culture and pose as an important conservation model across the region.
ADC Peren, D Robin, NCS said that special measures would be taken for the long-term protection of the released tortoises in and around the site by the district administration.
The project team thanked the Chief Wildlife Warden of Nagaland for guiding and supporting the entire project.
