An endangered Indian peacock softshell turtle was rescued from Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus on Monday evening.
Conservationist Aritra Sattar spotted and rescued the turtle from the road between Aro Rongpukur and Medical Pond on the campus.
He found the turtle while heading towards Al-Beruni Hall from the university’s Chourangi area and subsequently took it to his residence.
The rescued turtle’s shell measures 60 centimetres in length and 46 centimetres in width, with a neck length of 25 centimetres.
According to Aritra, while the turtle appears healthy upon initial observation, it has been missing its front right leg since birth.
He said the turtle is temporarily being kept in shallow water inside a swimming pool at his residence. A veterinarian has been called to conduct a physical examination, while efforts are underway to contact the Forest Department.
Regarding the rescue, zoologist Professor MA Aziz said the species is extremely rare and not native to this region. He explained that such turtles are typically found in large rivers and suggested that someone might have released it on campus.
The scientific name of the Indian peacock softshell turtle is Nilssonia hurum. It is classified as “Endangered” on the Red List of Threatened Species by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
