First phase of turtle study completed in Tripura's Kalyan Sagar Lake

The first phase of a scientific study on turtles inhabiting the Kalyan Sagar Lake near the revered Tripurasundari Temple located at Gomati District of Tripura has been successfully completed, informed Gomati District Magistrate in a Facebook post today.

The study is being conducted with the support of the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation (TSAF).

The DM stated that custom hoop traps were used to safely capture turtles, following which tagging was done using toe clips — a standard method in turtle research.

“Each captured turtle is being assessed for morphometry, weight, length, health status, and other biological parameters with the help of TSAF experts,” he wrote.

The primary objective of the study is to determine the exact population of turtles in the lake, understand their health condition, study their breeding patterns, and gather data on other scientific aspects of the species.

He added that the second phase of the study will begin after the monsoon season.

The District Magistrate Tarit Kanti Chakma expressed his gratitude to Dr. Arunima Singh and Dr. Sushmita Kar of the Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation for their technical expertise and collaboration in the conservation initiative.

Kalyan Sagar Lake, located beside the famed Tripura Sundari temple, is home to rare species of freshwater turtles and plays a significant ecological as well as religious role in the region.