Asian Giant Tortoise

Context (TH): Captive-bred Asian Giant Tortoises were reintroduced in Nagaland’s Zeliang Reserve, strengthening India’s participatory tortoise conservation model.

About Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys)

Asia’s Largest: It is the heaviest and largest tortoise species in mainland Asia.
Unique Nesting: Only tortoise that builds and guards leaf-litter nests above ground.
Habitat Zone: Prefers moist tropical hill forests; commonly called the mountain tortoise.
Global Distribution: Found in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, & Thailand.
Indian Range: Inhabits Nengpui (Mizoram), Barail (Cachar, Assam), & Nongkhyllem (Meghalaya) WLS.

Credit: IUCN

Omnivorous Diet: Feeds on tubers, bamboo shoots, invertebrates, frogs, and forest vegetation.
Ecological Role: Termed a “small elephant” for facilitating seed dispersal & nutrient cycling.
Threat Drivers: Declining due to hunting, habitat loss, and illegal wildlife trafficking.
Conservation Status: IUCN: Critically Endangered | WPA, 1972: Schedule IV | CITES: Appendix I

Selected Site: Zeliang Community Reserve (Nagaland) was chosen after habitat suitability assessments.
Captive Source: All released tortoises were bred at Nagaland Zoo’s ex-situ conservation facility.
Local Engagement: Youth were trained as “Tortoise Guardians” for monitoring & sensitisation activities.
Programme: Reintroduction was led under ITCP in collaboration with Turtle Survival Alliance.

ITCP: Indian Turtle Conservation Program is a multi-partner initiative for conserving India’s freshwater turtles and tortoises through habitat protection, citizen engagement, and conservation breeding.