Delhi’s Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary welcomes baby Indian Flapshell turtle

NEW DELHI: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (ABWS) in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area marked a successful turtle breeding by welcoming an Indian Flapshell hatchling.

In a post on X, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said, “Encouraging signs from Delhi’s wild heart. A turtle hatchling spotted at Asola Bhatti’s Turtle Pond signals a breakthrough in our conservation journey. This season marks successful turtle breeding thanks to improved ecological conditions.”

The Indian Flapshell turtles are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The species is marked as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Located in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli Hills in Delhi’s Tughlakabad, the rescue centre has seen a significant improvement in hatching success and turtle development following recent ecological upgrades aimed at creating a semi-natural habitat for the rescued turtles, the ABWS said in a statement.

To enhance the habitat various efforts were made such as introducing sand beds to support natural nesting, maintaining optimal water levels during dry periods and adding large basking stones to mimic a turtle’s natural environment, the statement said. The pond area has also been enriched with aquatic grasses and sloping banks to allow easy movement and resting for turtles, it read.

A thick vegetation cover around the pond and a micro-ecosystem designed to resemble natural conditions have further supported breeding and nesting behaviour, the statement said.

The rescue centre now stands as a model for turtle rehabilitation, with contributing significantly in the conservation efforts of freshwater turtle in the region, it added.