Mobile app KURMA helps save turtles in India-THE HINDU-19-07-2020

Context: Collaborative citizen science initiative provides database, helps identify species and lists rescue centres.

Details:

*The application, developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network (ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India.

*Suppose turtles are recovered at Kolkata Airport, then KURMA will help you reach five places in Kolkata that one can approach for help. Different rescue centres are also registered on the app, and also a number of experts who can provide more information on the species.

* During the Indian monsoon, from July 1 to July 7, an online competition was held to encourage citizens to report turtles from their localities.

*KURMA will start identifying species automatically through artificial intelligence.

*The KURMA App 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.