Guwahati: Assam released 240 hatchlings of the critically endangered black softshell turtle into Roumari Beel in Biswanath district.Forest minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the hatchlings, locally known as Bormuria Kaso, were released earlier this month as part of a conservation initiative led by Biswanath Wildlife Division, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Survival Alliance Foundation India.The black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans), once considered extinct in the wild, has survived in Assam through captive-breeding programmes and traditional conservation practices at temple ponds, particularly those linked to Hayagriva Madhava and Nagshankar temples.“These faith-based conservation efforts have played a crucial role in preventing the species’ extinction and creating opportunities for its recovery,” Baruah said in a social media post.The release is part of a multi-year recovery and rewilding programme. More than 300 hatchlings have emerged at project sites in Assam and Tripura during the current breeding season, the minister said.He said sustained cooperation among govt wildlife authorities, conservation organisations and local communities was essential to protecting the species.Roumari Beel is expected to provide a protected wetland habitat for the hatchlings. Continued habitat protection, monitoring and community participation will be crucial to their survival, Baruah said.The initiative combines scientific conservation practices with traditional wildlife protection efforts to support the species’ recovery in Assam’s wetlands.
