A critically endangered Yellow Mountain Tortoise was rescued from the Jahangirnagar University area on Monday afternoon. Officials from the Wildlife Crime Control Unit took custody of the tortoise for further action.
According to university sources, several children were playing with the tortoise near the Bishmail area adjacent to the campus. Aritra Sattar, a student of the Department of Environmental Science and a wildlife photographer, noticed the scene and brought the tortoise to his residence before informing the Forest Department. Subsequently, members of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit arrived and took the animal into their care.
“I saw a few children playing with the tortoise in the Bishmail area,” said Aritra Sattar. “As it’s a critically endangered species and not suitable for the university environment, I brought it home temporarily and notified the authorities.”
Jasim Sheikh, an officer and wildlife conservator at the Wildlife Crime Control Unit, confirmed the identification of the species. “This is a critically endangered Yellow Mountain Tortoise, a land-dwelling species. The university environment is not suitable for its survival, so we have taken it for safekeeping. Our senior officials will decide on its release into a suitable natural habitat,” he added.
