World Turtle Day is observed globally every year on May 23 to raise awareness about protecting turtles, tortoises, and their habitats while promoting human action for their survival.
- May 23, 2025, marked the 25th anniversary of World Turtle Day
Theme:
The theme of World Turtle Day is “Dancing Turtles Rock!“, encourages worldwide participation to raise awareness about the conservation needs of turtles and tortoises.
Background:
i.World Turtle Day was first launched in 2000 by California, United States of America (USA) based American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), a non-profit organization dedicated to turtle and tortoise conservation.
ii.World Turtle Day has been observed annually on 23rd May since the year 2000.
Note: ATR, founded in 1990 by Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, began with rescuing two Russian tortoises named Peggy Sue.
About Turtles and Their Classification:
i.Turtles, including tortoises and terrapins, belong to the Testudines order of reptiles, commonly referred to as chelonians.
ii.These species are four-legged vertebrates, cold-blooded, and have scaly skin covered by a protective shell.
Habitat:
- Tortoises live exclusively on land.
- Turtles primarily inhabit freshwater or saltwater ecosystems.
Taxonomic Classification:
i.As per the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the Testudines order is divided into two suborders:
- Cryptodira – species retract heads straight back into the shell.
- Pleurodira – species fold heads sideways into the shell.
iiThese suborders comprise 13 families, 75 genera, and over 300 species globally.
Ecological Significance:
Turtles play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance through:
- Nutrient cycling in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
- Controlling predator populations, preserving biodiversity.
- Consuming decaying organic matter, aiding in water purification.
- Regulating algae growth, maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems.
- Supporting wildlife by influencing prey-predator dynamics.
India’s Conservation Efforts:
i.On the occasion of World Turtle Day 2025, the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) unveiled a long-term plan to combat illegal turtle trafficking, restore habitats, and promote scientific conservation.
ii.India hosts 30 freshwater turtle species, with 26 under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
iii.A Turtle Conservation and Research Centre, with an allocation of Rs. 5 crore, is being developed along a 28.2 km stretch of the River Mala inside PTR, funded by Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) of Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India (GoI).
Note: UP ranks 3rd in turtle diversity in India after Assam and West Bengal (WB), with 15 identified species. Of these, 13 species are found in PTR’s rivers, lakes, Sharda Sagar Dam, and other water bodies.
Turtle Trafficking in India:
i.According to New Delhi (Delhi) based TRAFFIC India (a global wildlife trade monitoring network), UP and WB are India’s major turtle trafficking hubs.
ii.Between 2009 and 2019, 111,310 tortoises and freshwater turtles were rescued across 19 states and 2 Union Territories (UTs), averaging over 11,000 rescues annually.
iii.From 2018 to 2023, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) seized 68,538 turtles during nationwide operations.
iv.In 2025, Rushikulya Beach, located in Odisha, witnessed a record-breaking mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, with over 700,000 turtles arriving for nesting.
- Olive Ridley turtles are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
About Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB):
i.The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) was initially established in 2007 as the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau, and was later renamed as WCCB in the same year.
ii.It became operational in 2008 and functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India (GoI).
Minister Responsible – Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, MoEFCC
Headquarters – New Delhi (Delhi)
