Asian Giant Tortoise

Ten captive-bred Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys) juveniles were released into a protected area of Nagaland’s Intanki National Park.

About the ‘Asian Giant Tortoise’–

• The soft release of Asian Giant Tortoise is an attempt to boost conservation and repopulating the species. The soft release is a process of gradually releasing captive-raised species into the wild.
• Distribution: They are found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia and other places.
• Diet: Bamboo shoots, tubers and other juicy vegetation and some invertebrates and frogs.
• Threats: Hunting for consumption, habitat loss, anthropogenic activities like construction and slash and burn.
• Conservation Status —
  • • IUCN — Critically Endangered
    • CITES — Appendix II
    • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 — Schedule IV

About the Intanki National Park –

• It is also known as the Ntangki National Park, which was established by British administrators in the year 1923 in Nagaland.
• Flora — it has thick rain forests which creates natural habitat for many animals.
• Fauna — Wild buffaloes, Hoolok gibbo ,Tigers, Sloth bear, Wild dogs and flying squirrels.