The staff of Kakching Range handed over a rare adult softshell turtle to Manipur Zoological Garden Iroisemba on Wednesday.
Assistant conservator of Forest, Chandel Naorem Munal Meitei said that the reptile was spotted by one Naorem Kunjo of Kakching Sumak leikai on Monday while digging his pond at Kakching Arodrom by using a JCB.
As the animal had buried herself in the mud and was difficult to spot, the excavator accidentally hit the animal and it caused an injury over her chest. Naorem Kunjo later handed over the injured turtle to staff of Kakching Range on Monday at around 4 pm.
After seeing the condition of the animal, the range staff immediately rushed to Kakching Veterinary Hospital and gave treatment. The animal got stitched up and has been kept at the observation home of the Hospital. As its condition was found to be improving, the range staff then handed over the turtle to Manipur Zoological Garden on Wednesday, Munal said.
He continued that the rescued turtle weighs around 8 kg and these species are critically endangered in Manipur.
Such soft shell turtles are killed frequently by hunters as they have big body structure and have plenty of flesh, he said. These species are critically endangered due to the above cited reason. The softshell turtle species eat aquatic insects and thus play a major role in protecting ecological balance, Munal said.
Munal also appealed to the public to rescue all the animals and birds entering the localities and hand them over to a nearest forest office.
