To conserve turtle, a mobile-based application called KURMA was launched on World Turtle Day on May 23, 2020.
Objectives: It not only provides users a database to identify a species but also provides the location of the nearest rescue centre for turtles across the country.
Developers: The application has been developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India.
Features: The KURMA App is free to download. It serves as a digital database, with a built-in digital field guide covering 29 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises of India, and information on turtle identification, distribution, vernacular names, and threats.
Most trafficked: Tortoise and freshwater turtles are among the most trafficked in the country.
As per the report released in 2019 by TRAFFIC showed that at least 200 tortoises and freshwater turtles fall prey to illicit poaching and smuggling every week, or 11,000 each year, adding up to over 1,11,130 turtles poached or smuggled between September 2009 and September 2019.
TRAFFIC: It is an international wildlife trade monitoring organisation.
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