Rare turtle spotted near Ghaggar

A rare softshell freshwater turtle was spotted by villagers and wildlife officials behind the Chattbir Zoo near the Ghaggar river in Mohali’s Zirakpur.

According to an official, it seems to the same turtle that was rescued from the pond at the Kali temple in Patiala in 2014.

The turtle, then weighing around 70 kg and estimated to be around 150 years old, was later released in the wild after being kept under observation at the zoo for some time.

An official said the turtle belonged to a rare species, which was found in abundance during the Indus Valley civilisation over 3,000 years ago.

According to experts, such turtles can live up to 200 years.

“Such turtles were earlier found in the Indus valley in plenty but the recovery of such a turtle of this weight is a rare find,” a wildlife expert said, adding that the softshell freshwater turtle has been declared vulnerable under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

“It is one of the most endangered and rare turtles and the Act prohibits its sale or purchase. Increasing destruction of their natural habitat combined with the exploitation of reptiles is a major threat to Indian freshwater turtles,” said Dharminder Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the head of the Forest Force, Punjab.

“The spotting of the turtle in the Ghaggar marshy lands is a good sign,” Sharma added.