Bharatpur, July 4 -- A recent freshwater turtle survey conducted towards the end of the month June by the Research and Monitoring Cell of Rajasthan's Keoladeo National Park has documented seven species of freshwater turtles in the wetland, reaffirming the park's importance as a key conservation site for the reptiles. The systematic survey was carried out using the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method, under which 10 teams comprising frontline forest staff and trained nature guides conducted transect walks along pre-delineated routes and recorded turtle sightings. The primary objective was to prepare a comprehensive inventory of freshwater turtle species found in the national park. Besides documenting species richness, the survey generated information on the relative abundance of different species and identified important habitats and congregation sites within the park. The exercise also focused on capacity building. Before the field survey, an orientation session on freshwater turtle identification, ecology, behaviour and conservation was conducted at the Shanti Kuteer campus. The programme sensitised frontline staff and nature guides to the ecological significance of turtles in wetland ecosystems and strengthened their ability to identify species during routine patrolling and interpretation activities. Based on the recent survey, corroborated by opportunistic observations recorded over the past few years, Keoladeo National Park supports seven freshwater turtle species: the Indian Roofed Turtle (Pangshura tecta), Indian Tent Turtle (Pangshura tentoria), Crowned River Turtle (Hardella thurjii), Indian Flapshell Turtle (Lissemys punctata), Ganges Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia gangetica), Black Pond Turtle or Spotted Pond Turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii), and Indian Peacock Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia hurum). Rajasthan is known to harbour 11 species of freshwater turtles, of which seven occur within Keoladeo National Park, highlighting the wetland's significance for turtle conservation....