Bringing Back the Asian Giant Tortoise in Bangladesh

The Asian giant tortoise (Manouria emys) has all but vanished from the forests of Bangladesh. At the Turtle Conservation Center in Bhawal National Park, the Creative Conservation Alliance, led by Shahriar Caesar Rahman, is working to change that. The center produced the first captive-laid Asian giant tortoise eggs and the first hatchling ever recorded in Bangladesh, with support from the Turtle Survival Alliance.

Young tortoises are raised until they are large enough to survive on their own, with the goal of rewilding the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The center also cares for other threatened species, including the keeled box turtle, elongated tortoise and Arakan forest turtle. These photos follow the work from egg to release.