UNB, Natore :
Locals fishermen caught an endangered Ganges Soft Shell Turtle on Wednesday from Dahia area of Chalan Beel in Singra upazila of Natore.
After catching the 19 kg turtle fisherman Samaul and Suja sold it to another local named Suben at Tk 20,000.
Later he was forced to return it to the fishermen after locals identified it as an endangered species, said Saiful Islam, general secretary of Chalan Beel Wildlife conservation Committee.
He said the committee members managed to rescue the turtle from the fishermen Thursday noon and Rajshahi Forest Department has been informed.
Ganges soft shell turtle is a species of softs hell turtle found in South Asia in rivers such as the Ganges, Indus and Mahanadi. This vulnerable turtle reaches a carapace length of up to 94 cm (37 inches).
The scientific name of Ganges Soft Shell Turtle or Indian Soft Shell Turtle is Nilssonia gangetica. It is an endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
