A rare turtle weighing around 10 kilograms was rescued from a fisherman’s net in Satkhira’s Sundarbans region and handed over to forest authorities after local youths intervened.
A rare species of turtle weighing around 10 kilograms has been rescued from a river in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans region and handed over to forest authorities after it was caught in a fisherman’s net, officials and local residents said.
The turtle was found in the Kholpetua River in Gabura Union of Shyamnagar Upazila in the southwestern district of Satkhira. Local youths recovered the animal on Saturday afternoon and later transferred it to the Kalagachhia Forest Station under the Satkhira Range of the West Sundarbans.
According to local sources, a fisherman from the Sheikh Bari area of Kholpetua village had cast his net in the river to catch fish on Friday afternoon when the turtle became trapped. The fisherman subsequently took the animal to his home and kept it there.
As news of the catch spread through the area, local youths Ashik and Saiful Islam, along with other villagers and young volunteers, went to the fisherman’s house. They rescued the turtle at around 2:00 pm on Saturday and arranged for its transfer through members of the Community Patrolling Group (CPG) to the forest department.
The rescued turtle is estimated to weigh approximately 10 kilograms.
Saiful Islam, station officer at the Kalagachhia outpost under the Sundarbans Satkhira Range, confirmed the incident.
“Local villagers rescued the turtle and handed it over to the forest department. It is currently in our custody. Further action will be taken in accordance with the decision of the higher authorities,” he said.
Asked about the turtle’s exact species, the official said it belonged to a rare variety but could not immediately identify it.
“The turtle is of a rare species. However, I cannot say exactly which species it is at this moment because I do not have a definite understanding of that,” he added.
This post is republished from The Business Standard.
