On Mar 11, a rare species 'Batagur baska' mother turtle laid 32 eggs for the third time in Koromjol Artificial Turtle Breeding Centre.
Azad Kabir Howlader, in-charge of the sanctuary in the eastern Sundarbans said, “In the first batch, 10 babies hatched from 10 eggs. The other eggs are yet to hatch."
The baby turtles were released in a basin under intensive care in the sanctuary on Thursday (May 16).
Mahmudul Hasan, divisional forest officer of Sundarbans Eastern Forest Department said, "Funded by the Bangladesh Forest Department, America's Turtle Survival Alliance, Austria's Vienna Zoo and Nature Life Foundation, the Koromjol turtle breeding centre was established in 2014 to preserve the endangered turtle species 'Batagur baska'."
"Including the 10 new baby turtles, there are currently 180 'Batagur baska' turtles kept in the centre for research," he added.
According to the Forest Department, these turtles were common in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. But with time and a changing hostile environment, the species has become endangered and almost extinct in other parts of the world.
The rare turtles are widely in demand around the world, especially as a delicacy among food enthusiasts. One turtle can weigh 25-30 kg at maturity. They can survive for 70-80 years.