Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle reintroduced to Ganga after 30 years under Namami Gange Mission

Key facts

• The endangered Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) was released into the Ganga on 26 April after a 30-year absence.
• Twenty captive-bred turtles were freed in the Haiderpur Wetland Complex, Uttar Pradesh, by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and the Namami Gange Mission.
• The turtles were reared at the Garhaita Turtle Conservation Centre under the National Chambal Sanctuary.
• Sonic tags fitted on each turtle will monitor their movements for two years to assess survival and dispersal.
• One group was released above the barrage and another downstream in the main river channel to compare soft versus hard release techniques.
• Haiderpur Wetland connects fully with the Ganga during monsoon, aiding natural dispersal of the species.
• The goal is to establish a self-sustaining population of Red-Crowned Roofed Turtles in the Ganga.