Black Soft Shell turtles known as Bostami Turtle In front of the tomb.

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Bostami Turtle (Mazari) Black Soft Shell turtles known as Bostami Turtle In front of the tomb, there is a large pond that houses a large number of black soft-shelled turtles known as Bostami Turtle or Bostami Kachim (locally called Mazari) which are a very rare and critically endangered species. Legends claim that these turtles are the descendents of evil spirits that incurred the wrath of the renowned saint, Bayazid Bostami, while he was visiting the area. It is believed that the evil spirits were then transformed into turtles as a punishment and are doomed to spend eternity in this pool. At present, the shrine's caretakers – the Mazar Committee – protect the turtle population but will not allow specimens to be taken anymore, regardless of whether they would be killed or reintroduced into the wild. Scientifically, the black soft-shelled turtle or Bostami Turtle (Aspideretes Nigricans, sometimes placed in genus Nilssonia) is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh (Chittagong). As of 2002, the IUCN classified the species as Extinct in the Wild.

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Size: 5364px × 3576px
Location: Chittagong, Bangladesh
Photo credit: © Jahangir Alam Onuchcha / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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