Behler Turtle Conservation Award

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Behler Turtle Conservation Award- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 3: Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.

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)

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.

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.