Asian Giant Tortoises released into Nagaland protected area for rewilding

Subject: Environment

Context:

Ten captive-bred Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouriaemys) juveniles were released into a protected area of Nagaland on December 19, 2022, according to T Aochuba, director, Intanki National Park.

Soft release of the tortoise:

The Nagaland Forest Department and non-profits Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society India conducted a soft release of the juvenile tortoises with the objective to rewild the species and population recovery.
The soft release is a process of gradually releasing captive-raised species into the wild.
The method helps the species to develop site fidelity among released individuals and eventually develop the habit to live in the vicinity of the release closure.

About the Asian Giant Tortoise:

The Asian Giant tortoise (Manouriaemys), also known commonly as the Mountain tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae.
The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.
It is believed to be among the most primitive of living tortoises, based on molecular and morphological studies.
Asian Giant Tortoises are found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia among other places.
Listed as ‘critically endangered’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Threats include Over-exploitation and unsustainable use for consumption by local communities resulting in the species being pushed to the brink of extinction.
Conservation efforts: The Joint Asian Giant Tortoise Recovery Project started in 2017 with the Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP) and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA).

About the Ntangki National Park:

Ntangki National Park is a national park located in the Peren District of Nagaland, India.
It was first designated as a national park in 1993.
Among the species that inhabit the park are the rare hoolock gibbon, golden langur, hornbill, Asian palm civet, black stork, tiger, white-breasted kingfisher, monitor lizard, python and sloth bear.
The name “Ntangki” is derived from theZeme dialect of the Zeliangrong Nagas.