Black Softshell Turtle Recovery Project in Assam
Brahmaputra Basin & Temple Pond Conservation Footprint
Assam’s Brahmaputra floodplain is a global biodiversity hotspot supporting 75% of India’s freshwater turtle species. However, poaching and intense local demand for live turtle offerings in temple ponds have pushed species like the critically endangered Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) to the brink. Since 2013, Wildlife Survival Alliance Foundation India has spearheaded a multi-stakeholder recovery network across Assam. By transforming a defunct tourism building into the Nature Discovery Centre at Biswanath Ghat, WSAFI established a regional base for chelonian research, administrative collaboration, and community outreach.
Scientific Conservation Breeding & Vision 2030
To address severe overcrowding, eutrophication, and poor husbandry in traditional temple ponds like Nagshankar and Hajo, WSAFI delivers technical ex-situ management, egg collection, artificial incubation, and head-starting protocols. Under a long-term multipartite agreement with the Assam Forest Department and local temple committees, WSAFI established bio-secure captive assurance colonies at the Nature Discovery Centre and Assam State Zoo, successfully hatching over 300 individuals. Furthermore, WSAFI signed a historic multi-stakeholder MoU adopting a strategic vision document to rear and rewild at least 1,000 critically endangered Black Softshell Turtles into wild Brahmaputra floodplains by 2030.
Women's Empowerment: The 'Kaso Sakhi' Weavers Initiative
To mitigate illegal turtle harvesting along the Brahmaputra River basin, WSAFI launched an alternative livelihood model combining cultural heritage with species protection. Partnering with traditional women weavers from riverside fishing villages along Biswanath and Gameri Ghats, WSAFI introduced turtle-themed motifs into the Assamese Gamocha—a culturally revered woven cloth. This led to the formation of the "Kaso Sakhi" (Friends of the Turtles) weaving collective. WSAFI provides technical training, raw yarn supply, and direct online/offline market linkages, empowering local women, supplementing household incomes, and reducing community reliance on wild turtle harvesting.
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