Behler Turtle Conservation Award- Relevance for UPSC Exam
- GS Paper 3: Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.
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Behler Turtle Conservation Award- Context
- Recently, Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction.
- Shailendra Singh’s work has been recognized for ‘being the last hope for the wild survival’ of some species of turtles in India like-
- Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga),
- Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska), and
- Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans)
Dibru Saikhowa National Park
Behler Turtle Conservation Award– Key Points
- About: The Behler Turtle Conservation Award is a major annual international award honoring excellence in the field of the tortoise and freshwater turtle conservation and biology, and leadership in the chelonian conservation and biology community.
- The award was established by Anders Rhodin and Rick Hudson in 2006 to honor the legacy of turtle conservationist John Behler (1943-2006).
- It is considered the “Nobel Prize” of Turtle Conservation.
- Presenters of the Award: The Behler Turtle Conservation award is co-presented by
- The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA),
- The IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG),
- The Turtle Conservancy (TC), and
- The Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF)
- The Behler Turtle Conservation Award includes a $5000 which reflects its increasing prestige and profile.
World Social Protection Report 2020-22
About three Critically Endangered Turtle Species
- Red-crowned Roofed Turtle: It is also called the Bengal roof turtle. It is a freshwater turtle endemic to South Asia.
- Northern River Terrapin: It is a species of riverine turtle native to Southeast Asia and considered extinct in much of its former range.
- Black Softshell Turtle: It is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh. It shares some degree of similarity with the Indian peacock softshell.
State Animal and State Bird of Ladakh