Batagur represents one of the most threatened turtle groups in the world. This project involves conservation of last remaining populations of Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) and Three-striped Roofed Turtle (Batagur dhongoka) - both listed as Critically endangered in IUCN-Red List.

Batagur represents one of the most threatened turtle groups in the world. This project involves conservation of last remaining populations of Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) and Three-striped Roofed Turtle (Batagur dhongoka) - both listed as Critically endangered in IUCN-Red List.

B. kachuga populations have sharply declined by ~80% - with estimated 500 nesting females remaining in wild, resulting in its listing in World’s 25+ Most Endangered Turtles. B. kachuga and B. dhongoka populations have been extirpated from large parts of their historic range across Gangetic plain, driven by extensive and unmitigated pollution, habitat destruction caused by illegal sand mining, unregulated fishing practices, poaching, and removal of wild individuals for international pet markets.

Chambal River Basin, which includes National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), supports the last known population of B. kachuga and possibly the only recoverable populations of B. dhongoka. In collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Forest and Wildlife Department and Chambal Conservation Foundation, the program engages in the nest protection of B. kachuga and B. dhongoka along the Chambal River. Being a species plagued by natural and anthropogenic threats, institutional apathy for being lesser known and conflicting resource sharing with local communities, the project is designed to address each of these aspects via a multi-pronged approach.

To offset declines, the project engages in an annual five-month effort to locate nests, transfer egg to riverside hatcheries, guard incubating eggs, and release hatchlings. The program is also closely integrated with riverine communities for providing outreach activities and alternative livelihood raining.

Nest Protection Program

In collaboration with forest department the project focuses on nest protection program for endangered B. kachuga and B. dhongoka though a riverside hatchery program, continuing exploration and documentation of critical nesting habitats and enhancing protection to nests from predation and chronic human disturbance. The current conservation effort for the species focusses on a 30-km stretch of Chambal River (Nadgawan to Udi) inside National Chambal Sanctuary comprising 12% of total stretch of the Chambal. Project team conducts foot and boat surveys at the onset of the nesting season to identify vulnerable nests along project area. During nesting season, a river-side temporary hatchery is established every year to protect the vulnerable nest. Over the past twelve years, the program have protected tens of thousands of nests from predation, and released hundreds of thousands of Batagur hatchling into the river. Most of these nests and hatchlings would typically be lost to predators or flooding. This effort is believed to provide a massive boost to sustaining these populations in the Chambal River.

Education and Awareness Program

A comprehensive and immersive initiative designed to deepen the public's understanding of the Chambal River's critical significance and its intricate connection to the aquatic fauna thriving within it. Our multifaceted approach includes educational workshops that disseminate knowledge about the river's ecological importance, interactive field expeditions that offer participants a firsthand experience of its unique beauty, impactful awareness campaigns across various media channels, collaborative scientific research efforts to better understand and protect its biodiversity, and active community involvement in river conservation through clean-up drives and grassroots initiatives.