Rare Turtle Recoveries in Assam Spark Trafficking Fears

Guwahati: Conservationists are sounding the alarm in Assam. Two rare turtles turned up on the same road in the Tinsukia district within forty-eight hours. The incidents have authorities looking for signs of a wider wildlife trafficking operation.

Devajit Moran, a local wildlife conservationist, pushed the Forest Department and district administration to dig deeper. The latest animal was found Wednesday along the road linking Tingrai and Doomdooma. Moran noted, "Today, another rare large turtle was rescued with the Doomdooma Forest Department from beside the road connecting Tingrai and Doomdooma. The turtle was moving along the road."

This follows a find in Raidang village just one day earlier. Forest personnel recovered a juvenile Indian softshell turtle, known as Nilssonia hurum, near a private home. No concrete evidence links the two rescues yet. Officials have not confirmed a connection to any smuggling network.

Still, the pattern worries locals. Tinsukia has a history of wildlife crime. Police arrested three traffickers in January 2025, seizing a leopard skin, sambar deer antlers, and pangolin scales. Past government data also tracks the seizure of 98 Tokay geckos and various remains in Mariani and Karbi Anglong. Moran wants a full investigation into local habitats and transit routes to see if these turtle rescues are isolated events or part of a larger, darker business.