Current Affairs - Environment - Discussion

India’s first satellite-tagged Ganges softshell turtle was released in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve as part of a major wildlife conservation initiative. The project was launched on Endangered Species Day to monitor the movement, habitat use, breeding sites, and seasonal migration patterns of the endangered freshwater turtle species. The Ganges softshell turtle, scientifically known as Nilssonia gangetica, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List despite being widely distributed across India. The initiative was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga authorities, and supported by the National Geographic Society to strengthen conservation planning in the Brahmaputra river basin.