A teacher from Assam University has saved a turtle belonging to an endangered species from being sold in a fish market in Assam.
Sarbani Giri, head of the Life Science and Bioinformatics department of Assam University in Silchar, noticed a man putting up an Indian peacock soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia hurum), which was alive, for sale when she had gone to the fish market.
The man wanted to cut the turtle into pieces and sell it but Giri immediately stopped him from doing so and offered to buy it alive for Rs 4,000, a forest official said.
He was touched by the gesture of the varsity teacher and he gave her the turtle.
After bringing it home, Giri called up the Cachar Forest Division in Silchar to release it in its natural habitat, the official said.
Forest department officials took the turtle from her and thanked her for saving the life of the turtle.