Star tortoises at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

The ambitious project of the Kerala Forest Department at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to rehabilitate Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) seized from smugglers has become a major success. With this the CWS also has become the only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country. The sanctuary has now become home for at least 450 tortoises which were seized from poachers in less than two years. The success of the programme has made the star tortoise an icon of the sanctuary.

About the Indian star tortoises:

• The Indian star tortoise is a threatened species of tortoise which found in dry areas and scrub forest of India and Sri Lanka.
• This species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade, which is the main reason of it being endangered.
• Since 1975, this species has been included on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
• The species has been placed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• The natural food preferences of this species is found to include an herb locally known asthazhuthama, and a particular variety of cactus which found in abundance inside the CWS thus making it a favourable place for these species to live in.

Background:

• It all began in August 2015 when Customs sleuths of the Nedumbassery International Airport seized an out-of-the-ordinary consignment which contained 200 star tortoises meant for an East Asian destination.
• The reason for it been taken to these regions is that in these regions it is believed that alive Indian star tortoises are auspicious for gaining wealth and therefore the Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Wildlife Act, are poached and smuggled.
• The seized consignments were to be handed over to the Forest Department under law but the question arose of where to release them.
• Considering the chances of perishing in a zoo or a forest area where they cannot adapt naturally, the CWS authorities created a special project under the Wildlife Warden of the Eravikulam National Park.

Post- seizure activities:

• Species identification: The tortoises were then kept under quarantine for 30 days at Chinnar, where they were scientifically identified as a southern Indian species. It was done to ensure that no mixing of genetically different populations happens since there were also western Indian species inhabiting Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• Rehabilitation : The rehabilitation process partly adopted the ‘soft releasing’ process under which the randomly selected tortoises were taken into the wild in an enclosure from which they may enter the forest at will. Meanwhile the enclosures were monitored closely to prevent attacks by wild animals. Once the entire batch left, the enclosures were to be removed.