The northeastern Indian state of Assam, blessed by the mighty Brahmaputra River at the base of Himalayas, is recognized as one of the top biodiversity hotspots in India. A heterogeneous mixture of a myriad of flora and fauna, along with a rich landscape comprising of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and hills, the suitable climatic conditions have made it an ideal abode for a high percentage of rare and endemic species. The region hosts 75% of India’s freshwater turtle fauna.Unfortunately, nearly a third of chelonian species in this region are listed as threatened in IUCN Red-list assessments, with excessive hunting and killing for flesh and trade. Further, every year with a high tourist influx into Biswanath Ghat; renowned for both its temples and its rich wildlife, fuels turtle trade due to local demand for turtles to be given to temple ponds as religious offerings. This religious significance makes the conservation of these turtles even more critical especially for the critically endangered, Black Softshell Turtle, Nilssonia nigricans.

Temple ponds today contain more turtles than they can sustain owing to the lack of space as well as proper husbandry methods. Since 2013, the TSA India Program has acted as a catalyst for the rewilding of the critically endangered Black Softshell to the Brahmaputra Floodplain. Through steadfast engagement, the program team has assisted Nagshankar and other temple committees with the care of their turtles, and incubation and hatching of eggs, while pursuing the goal of utilizing the captive turtle populations for a wild recovery effort. Further, under the long term vision, the program converted a defunct government building of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation into Nature Discovery Centre so as to develop a functional base for chelonian research and community engagement, gradually as a regional turtle conservation centre. Over the last year, TSA India Program has strengthened the existing engagements with the local administration, forest department, temple authorities, targeted fishing communities, riverside schools and local tourists in a long term capacity to mitigate threats to local turtle populations.

Threat amelioration through community Participatory Approach

A comprehensive and immersive initiative designed to deepen the public's understanding of the Chambal River's critical significance and its intricate connection to the aquatic fauna thriving within it. Our multifaceted approach includes educational workshops that disseminate knowledge about the river's ecological importance, interactive field expeditions that offer participants a firsthand experience of its unique beauty, impactful awareness campaigns across various media channels, collaborative scientific research efforts to better understand and protect its biodiversity, and active community involvement in river conservation through clean-up drives and grassroots initiatives.

Turtle Weaver

The Brahmaputra Floodplain is a region of immense ecological importance, boasting one of the most diverse populations of turtles on our planet. Originating from the Tibetan Himalayas, the river carries life-giving nutrients through various ecoregions, shaping both the environment and the livelihoods of its inhabitants, be they human or animal.This area is home to a cultural tapestry as unique as its biodiversity. The Brahmaputra River shelters the last-known wild population of critically endangered Black Softshell Turtles (Nilssonia nigricans) in India. Sadly, this once-prolific species now teeters on the brink of extinction due to the relentless collection of meat and eggs for local consumption, as well as trade in regional and international markets by marginalized communities reliant on fishing as a traditional livelihood within the Brahmaputra basin. Gamocha, intricately woven cloth, holds a place of honor in Assamese society.

It is more than just fabric; it is an expression of emotion, respect, and Assamese values. Every gamocha design tells a story, and for those who weave it, each thread represents a timeline of their life. Without gamocha, traditional and cultural rituals in Assam remain incomplete. Historically, women in Assamese culture passed down this specialized skill, along with the stories embedded in each thread, from generation to generation. In 2019, an initiative was launched, partnering with traditional weavers in the fishing villages of Bishwanath Ghat and Gameri Ghat along the Brahmaputra River. The aim was to create gamochas that would benefit both the weavers and local wildlife, including the endangered turtles with a specific focus on reducing the pressure on the local turtle population from illegal harvesting. In the face of this challenge, fifteen women from Biswanth Ghat and Gameri Village stepped forward to create turtle-themed gamochas. While the turtle motif was new to them, their unwavering dedication to income generation and conservation resulted in exquisite, culturally significant works of art. This endeavor led to the formation of the "KASO SAKHI" weavers' group, aptly named "Friends of the Turtles." To bolster their efforts, dedicated training sessions were conducted for the weavers and yarns were made accessible through the project. Both offline and online sales and marketing linkages were also established through IT nature clubs and Pasoo Pakshee stores.

Conservation Breeding

Nagshankar Temple, along the fringe of Kaziranga National Park, today houses the largest captive population of the species. Despite their religious status, the temple ponds are in deplorable eutrophic conditions, lack basking/nesting spaces, are plagued with overcrowding,and possible interbreeding with sister species. The species now warrants dedicated conservation support via in-situ and ex-situ means, as it is envisioned that restoration of BST in the wild and establishing its wild breeding population may only be possible through conservation breeding, head starting (restocking), habitat protection and eventual reintroduction. Assisting with the care of their turtles, egg collection, incubation, hatching of eggs and head-starting, the program is poised towards the goal of utilizing the temple pond turtle populations for a wild recovery effort of this critically endangered species. Furthermore, sustained efforts from Assam Forest Department, TSAFI and its partners have helped to successfully established captive colonies of Black softshell turtle (hereafter BST) colonies at Nature Discovery Centre (Biswanath Ghat) and Assam State Zoo with over 300 individuals hatched from eggs translocated from Nagshankar and Hajo temples under a long-term multipartite agreement. The TSA Foundation India has also signed a multi-stakeholder Memorandum of Understanding and adopted a vision document to raise at least 1,000 critically endangered Black softshell turtles by 2030.