Manipur Zoo achieves first successful artificial incubation of Asian Giant Tortoises

Imphal, Aug 26: Manipur Zoological Garden (MZG) and India Turtle Conservation Programme (ITCP) conducted the first successful artificial incubation of Asian Giant Tortoises (Manouria emys phayrei) this year where 28 hatchlings hatched out from one nest, officials said.

MZG, located at the foothill of Langol hill range at Eroishemba in the outskirts of Imphal, is one of the smallest zoos in India, despite the Central Zoo Authority of India has categorised it as a medium zoo based on the diversity of birds and animals it houses.

The Asian Giant Tortoise is a critically endangered species and native to the northeast Indian states such as Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam, and Meghalaya. Making headway with the conservation of these tortoises, MZG is now all set to initiate a conservation breeding programme, with the aim to release them in the wild.

This will contribute to increasing the numbers of this highly threatened-lesser known Asian Giant Tortoises and return them back to their native habitats.

"We are looking forward to initiating certain steps and other facilities for the conservation, as it was successful. We'll also be releasing it in the wild as the favourable place for this species happens to be the foothill areas," said Director of MZG, Laishram Biramangol Singh.

Zoo Director Biramangol also informed that such activities of artificial incubation were also being taken up in other northeastern states.

Currently, the hatchlings are being put under proper husbandry care, and it was believed to be an important landmark event in the field of tortoise and turtle conservation in the state.

On the success of the project, its coordinator, Sushmita Kar, said, "We will simultaneously conduct assessments for suitable habitats for the species and collect information on its native distribution ranges in different districts of Manipur to understand their population status and address the specific conservation requirements for Asian Giant Tortoises in Manipur."

The initiative has been actively supported by the MZG team under the supervision of the Chief Wildlife Warden of Manipur, she added.

MZG also conducted a one-day capacity building workshop in collaboration with I'TCP on August 21 and trained 25 zoo-keepers and frontline forest staff on conservation and management of tortoises and freshwater turtles.