Indian temple helps nurture ‘extinct’ turtle back to life 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Agence France-PresseThe black softshell turtle is officially extinct in the wild, but a centuries-old Indian temple and its nature-loving caretaker are helping the creature make a tentative comeback. The black softshell turtle was declared extinct in the wild in 2002 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, while the Indian softshell turtle and the Indian peacock softshell turtle are classified as vulnerable. “There are plenty of turtles in the temple pond,” said Jayaditya Purkayastha, from conservation group Good Earth. A key figure is the caretaker of the temple pond, Pranab Malakar, who long before environmentalists became involved took a keen interest in the turtles’ wellbeing.

Source: Manila Bulletin June 11, 2019 05:48 UTC