Dead 140-year-old rare turtle soon to be on display at Nature Interpretation Centre

“Since the turtle was so rare,we decided to get the taxidermy model done from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) taxidermy centre. The work began in January this year and the model is likely to get ready for display by May,” said R H Kadam,deputy conservator of forests.

He said that as the said reptile falls in the Schedule I list,the licence to preserve the dead turtle was obtained from the principal chief conservator of forests. An amount of Rs 18,000 has been issued to create the model.

Talking about the taxidermy process that is being performed on the turtle,Dr Satish Gaikwad,a taxidermist and associate professor,Goregaon Veterinary Hospital,said,“We have almost finished the process of mounting that involves removing the flesh and muscles from the body and filling it with paper pulp,udul and fibre glass. Currently we are in the finishing process that includes fixing glass eyes,painting the hard palette and tongue.”

He said they will also be performing tinting which includes light painting on the turtle to give the model a natural look.

Gaikwad said it was the very first time he came across such a huge turtle. “It was a female turtle and when we cut-open its body,the abdomen had 250 eggs,” he said.

Unlike other species of turtle like Oliver Ridley,the Indian narrow-headed soft shell turtle’s nose is pointed and the neck is long and narrow,hence the name. Its carcass was surrounded by soft shell,” said Gaikwad.