News:According to a study by ecologists of Wildlife Institute of India(WII), over 90% of the potential distribution of Sal Forest Tortoise falls outside the current protected area’s network.
Facts:
- Sal Forest Tortoise is also known as the elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata).
- Habitat: It is found in Southeast Asia and parts of Indian Subcontinent particularly Northeast India.
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.
- CITES: Appendix II
- Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule IV
- Threat: Hunted for food, local use such as decorative masks and international wildlife trade.