Tracking device found on rare turtle in Barguna river

A rare species of tortoise has been caught in a net while a fisherman was fishing in the Payra River in Barguna.

A device was found attached to the shell of the turtle. Forest department officials said the device might be a GPS tracking device.

It was handed over to the East Sundarbans Forest Department in Bagerhat today for an examination, said Matiur Rahman, range officer of the forest department, reports our Patuakhali correspondent.

A fisherman – Md Masum – found the turtle in his net while catching fish in the river at Chalitatoli in Barguna Sadar upazila yesterday noon.

Photo: Collected

Masum said there is a code number – 712890 – in the device on its shell. When he saw this, he informed local union member Khokon Mia and later Khokon informed the forest department.

Forest official Matiur said, "It is a rare species of turtle. It's also quite large. I suspect the device on its shell is a GPS tracking device. It has been handed over to the East Sundarbans' Forest Department in Bagerhat for examination. Details about the device will be known after a test in the lab there""

He added that the turtle weighs around 12kg and is aged 25-30 years old.