A conservation hoarding board featuring the Elongated Tortoise has been installed at Dahijhoda Community Forest, aiming to raise awareness among local communities and forest users about the species’ conservation.
Dahijhoda Community Forest is located in Arjundhara Municipality-04 of Jhapa District, Koshi Province, in southeastern Nepal. The forest is of mixed type, dominated by Shorea robusta. With the support of The Rufford Foundation, we conducted several surveys in 2024 to study the habitat and conservation status of the Elongated Tortoise. In this area, the species faces significant threats from human exploitation, mainly for consumption, as pets, and through local-level trade. In response, we implemented a conservation program that included community consultations, informational workshops, and educational activities.
The hoarding board is a larger version of the awareness poster previously developed as outreach component of the project. It includes the following key features:
- High visibility graphics and layout featuring tortoise photographs
- Ecological information on the Elongated tortoise, including its habitat, behavior and diet
- Overview of threats faced by the species and its conservation needs
- Conservation status, national and international legal protection, and legal consequences of harming, collecting or trading the species.
We sincerely thank Dahijhoda Community Forest and its local members for their active participation, our local conservation partner Turtle Rescue and Conservation Centre, and our dedicated team members for their invaluable support in successfully implementing this project’s activities.
