Morang, October 16
A rare Indian flapshell turtle, locally known as the ‘butterfly turtle,’ found in Urlabari, has been rescued and safely released into the Beteni Wetland area.
The turtle, discovered near the residence of local resident Prabhu Dilungchha Rai, was safely relocated to its natural habitat through the active initiative of local youths. Rai, along with a team comprising environmental researcher and science writer Gobinda Prasad Pokharel, Dilip Pokharel and others, took the turtle to the Wetland and released it back into the wild.
The Indian flapshell turtle is classified as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Researcher Pokharel noted that while people used to kill and consume such creatures when found in villages in the past, a growing wave of conservation awareness has emerged recently.
‘Ever since I was an undergraduate student, we started rescuing stray wildlife found on roads or in village settlements,’ Pokharel shared. ‘Lately, a sense of love and ownership toward wildlife has also grown among the local community. Instead of killing turtles when found, taking the initiative to rescue and release them into wetlands is a positive change.’
According to Pokharel, he and local youths have successfully returned over a dozen such turtles to their natural habitats so far.
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