Wildlife officials take historic step to release critically endangered creatures into the wild: 'A significant milestone'
Six elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) and 10 Asian giant tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei) were released into two different forests in Bangladesh. The captive-bred elongated tortoises were released in Lawachara National Park in Northeastern Bangladesh, while the 10 Asian giant tortoises were released in Matamuhuri Reserve Forest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Southeastern Bangladesh.
"The recent release of a group of captive-bred tortoises last month is a significant milestone, but it represents the culmination of over a decade of dedicated effort," Creative Conservation Alliance CEO Shahriar Caesar Rahman told Mongabay by email.
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Both tortoise species have suffered significant decline as a result of habitat loss and poaching. The Asian giant tortoises, however, are more threatened, as the species is no longer found across most of its historic range in Bangladesh. Rahman further explained to Mongabay that "only a remnant population of few wild individuals are found in one locality in Bangladesh-Myanmar border area."
A variety of factors, including poaching, habitat loss, and subsistence hunting by local communities, have threatened the species' survival. While the elongated tortoise is more widely spread across Bangladesh, it has also been threatened by subsistence hunting.
The Turtle Survival Alliance, Creative Conservation Alliance, and the Bangladesh Forest Department teamed up to make the tortoise reintroductions a success.
Species reintroductions not only preserve a region's biodiversity but also protect the balance of the ecosystem. When one species' population starts to decline, it impacts the entire food chain, creating a domino effect.
To ensure the long-term success of these species reintroductions, conservationists have partnered with local groups, such as the Mro tribal communities. According to Mongabay, these groups "play a crucial role in habitat protection and tortoise monitoring."
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