World Turtle Day 2021 Date And Significance: History & Celebrations of the Observance That Raises Awareness About Protecting Turtles

World Turtle Day is observed annually on May 23 to increase knowledge of and respect for, tortoises and turtles, and encourage human involvement to help them survive. Due to climate change and aggressive hunting, turtles have become rare to spot in the wild. Due to this, some of the species of turtles are critically endangered. World Turtle Day 2021: Here Are 10 Interesting Facts About Turtles.

History of World Turtle Day

The World Turtle Day (WTD) was founded in 1990 by the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR). The day was created with the motive that people will join the mission to protect tortoises and turtles. Since its foundation, the organisation has placed more than 4000 tortoises and turtles into caring homes.

"Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, founders of ATR and World Turtle Day, advocate humane treatment of all animals, including reptiles. Since 1990, ATR has placed about 4,000 tortoises and turtles in caring homes. ATR assists law enforcement when undersize or endangered turtles are confiscated and provides helpful information and referrals to persons with sick, neglected or abandoned turtles," Worldturtleday.org said.

Amid the pandemic, one of the best ways to celebrate World Turtle Day is to learn about them. Many studies suggest that more than half of all turtle species are facing extinction due to climate change. Hence, you can raise awareness about them by using #WorldTurtleDay on various social media platforms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2021 07:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).