• The sudden mass turtle deaths in different parts of the district have sparked fears of disease outbreak as authorities remain clueless about the cause.
• The dead turtles include Softshell turtle and Indian black turtle.
• The Animal Husbandry Department sent the carcass of a turtle to a laboratory at Thiruvalla for examination, but they could not ascertain the cause of death as the carcass was in a decayed condition.
• Now, a live turtle has been sent for investigation.
• The number of turtle deaths has not been determined yet.
• The disease outbreaks are not new to Alappuzha.
• In 2016, bird flu (avian influenza), caused by H5N8 virus, was detected among ducks in Kuttanad.
• Prior to that, H5N1 was reported in the district in 2014.
• On both occasions, several ducks died and thousands were culled to tackle the spread of the disease.

• It is a medium-sized freshwater turtle found in South Asia.
• The species occurs in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, and the Chagos Archipelago.
• Despite its name, the colour of its upper shell or carapace can vary from reddish to dark brown and black with yellow streaks running along its length.
• The Indian black turtle also known as Indian pond terrapin is classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Hindu