Kaziranga: Officials recorded 945 freshwater turtles from seven species along the Brahmaputra River in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) during a survey, a park spokesperson said on Tuesday.
KNPTR authorities conducted the fifth annual aquatic reptile survey from January 14 to 18, in collaboration with the India Turtle Conservation Programme (ITCP). The teams focused on freshwater turtles and tortoises across the Kaziranga landscape.
Officials noted that Kaziranga alone hosts 17 of India’s 32 freshwater turtle and tortoise species. During the rapid boat survey, teams covered a 174-km stretch of the Brahmaputra flowing through the reserve.
The survey recorded 876 hardshell turtles and 69 softshell turtles. Teams made 55 direct sightings of hardshell turtles and 13 sightings of softshell turtles, including four Black Softshell Turtles.
The Black Softshell Turtle, a critically endangered species endemic to the Brahmaputra basin, faces severe threats from habitat loss, predation, and overexploitation. Officials said conservation efforts in Kaziranga National Park and at Nagshankar Temple in Biswanath district give hope for its survival.
Survey teams also recorded 92 bird species and spotted smooth-coated otters, Gangetic river dolphins, and Kaziranga’s iconic ‘big five’ megafauna, the tiger, greater one-horned rhinoceros, elephant, swamp deer, and wild water buffalo.
The study identified five priority habitats for conservation based on species diversity, habitat quality, and levels of human disturbance.
Officials said KNPTR authorities, with ITCP support, will continue safeguarding the river’s ecological integrity and adapt conservation strategies to the changing riverine landscape.
The Brahmaputra River supports one of the richest bio-diversities in the region. Conservationists recognize it as a global freshwater biodiversity hotspot and a Turtle Priority Area.