The Indian Turtle Conservation Programme (ITCP), a joint initiative of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) and San Diego Zoo, in association with Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, will organize a national workshop dedicated to turtle conservation entitled “Indian Freshwater Turtle and Tortoises Conservation Priority Areas and Initiatives”. The workshop will be held from 22 -24 October 2010 in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Patricia Koval (TSA Board of Directors and WWF-Canada Chair) recently inaugurated the newly built John Thorbjarnarson Memorial Chambal Conservation Centre in Etawah, India. John was a highly regarded crocodilian biologist, who also made his mark in chelonian conservation. He passed away on February 14, leaving a great void in the conservation community.

The new educational facility is located at the Turtle Conservation Centre, along the National Chambal (River) Sanctuary. The landmark event was held on on April 22, to celebrate both World Earth Day and the establishment day of Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF).

Large batagurid turtles of the genus Batagur are probably the most threatened freshwater turtles in India.  Their populations have been immensely reduced due to multiple factors such as poaching, accidental drowning in fishing gear, and habitat destruction.  They have all but disappeared from most of the Ganges river system, one of the world’s largest watersheds. 

After obtaining a six-month permit from the West Bengal state forestry department, we began our conservation efforts for the critically endangered river terrapin, Batagur baska.  The recent phylogenetic work by Peter Praschag and colleagues identified the Indian populations of Batagur baska to be genetically distinct from other populations in Southeast Asia.  Peter’s findings made it imperative to begin more active conservation measures for the species as populations in the Indian Sunderbans are believed to number less than 20 to 30 animals, with no nesting areas currently known or protected!