12 rare Bandarban turtles collected for breeding

Twelve rare turtles inhibiting hills and various Bandarban waterfalls have been collected by an environmental organization and the forest department to induce their breeding.

After collecting the turtles from remote Bulu Karbari area in the Romacri union of Bandarban's Thanchi upazila, they were taken to Bhawal National Park in Gazipur on Sunday.

Among the 12, two are locally known as Shila turtles and another pair is known as Diba turtles, all of which, once common, have become extremely rare due to frequent deforestation, stone extraction, and poaching.

Confirming the matter, Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Officer Rathindra Kumar Biswas said that after the turtles reproduce, their offspring would be released in the hilly tracts of the country.

The turtle collecting team was led by Forest Inspector Asim Mullick of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit and assisted by Creative Conservation Alliance,  a government registered non-profit organization.