• UGI USER
  • Jun 13, 2023
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Kaziranga National Park : Mahouts Arrested For Capturing Spotted Pond Turtles

News: Three people working as mahouts (elephant keepers and drivers) in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam have been detained for killing and eating endangered species of spotted pond turtles.

The incident sparked inquiries and arrests into park staff members’ alleged illicit eating of protected animals.

The black heads, legs, and tails of spotted pond turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii) are marked with yellow or white dots.

Their webbed feet enable them to swim, and they have huge heads and small snouts.

They are also known as Hamilton’s Terrapins, Black Spotted Turtles, and Black Pond Turtles.

To control their body temperature, they sunbathe. Warm water and a large area for tanning are essential for them.

Large, deep rivers in India, Assam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh contain them.

The species is found in India’s north, northeast, and a few areas of the country’s centre.

These turtles eat aquatic invertebrates and are mostly carnivorous.

As crepuscular animals, spotted pond turtles are most active at dusk and dawn.

Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

CITES: Kaziranga National Park, Appendix I:

 

It has a 42,996 Hectare (ha) area and is located in the state of Assam. It is the largest unaltered and typical area in the floodplain of the Brahmaputra Valley.

In 1974, it was designated as a national park.

Since 2007, it has been designated as a tiger reserve. With a core area of 430 sq. km, the tiger reserve has a total size of 1,030 sq. km.

In 1985, UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site.

BirdLife International recognises it as an Important Bird Area.

The majority of one-horned rhinos in the world reside there. The number of one-horned rhinos at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is second only to Kaziranga National Park in terms of rhinos in Assam.

The ‘big four’ species—the rhino, elephant, royal Bengal tiger, and Asiatic water buffalo—are the main targets of conservation efforts in Kaziranga.