Turtle and tortoise conservation in Nepal More than half of the
272 species of turtle and tortoise found in the world today are
in decline (IUCN, 2000) largely due to habitat degradation and
over-exploitation for eggs, meat and shells by man. Many of
these threatened species are found in Nepal and are under severe
pressure with some populations facing possible extinction,
including the red-crowned roof turtle, the three-striped roof
turtle, elongated tortoise, and narrow-headed soft-shell turtle.
In response to this situation, ZSL has been awarded financial
support from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria
Shellshock Campaign to establish a regional centre for the
professional management of wild turtle and tortoise assurance
colonies to secure viable populations of these critically
endangered species in Nepal. Located in the Royal Chitwan
National Park, this project is being carried out in partnership
with the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation and in
close collaboration with the Department o