Feature image courtesy: The Hindu

A remarkable conservation story has unfolded in the forests of Nagaland’s Peren district, with tribal youth at its heart. Local young volunteers have stepped forward to help reintroduce the critically endangered Asian Giant Tortoise into a community-protected forest. Their work is not just saving a species; it’s redefining sustainability through community stewardship.

A tortoise with a humble but vital role

The Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys) is mainland Asia’s largest tortoise species. Adults can weigh up to 36 kg and live for several decades. Historically found in the evergreen forests of Northeast India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, these slow-moving creatures play a vital ecological role.

As seed dispersers, they help regenerate forests. Despite this, their populations have plummeted due to hunting and habitat loss. Today, fewer than a few hundred remain in the wild, earning them a critically endangered status on the IUCN Red List.

The rewilding begins not from zoos, but........

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