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In the early 90s, the Indian government released specially-raised flesh-eating turtles into the Ganga to eat and clear the river of partly-burned corpses from the Varanasi ghats. The programme failed as poachers captured and wiped out the turtle population (again).
The most sought after knife-handles and pistol-grips are made from the antlers of Sambar stags. The antlers are made of bone and shed annually.
The name of the Anaconda, one of the most impressive snakes in the world, is said have its origins in Tamil where Anaikondran translates to something along the lines of elephant killer.
The Tamil word for the dhole (aka Asiatic wild dog aka Indian wild dog) is Chennai (red dog).
The Ganges River Dolphin is essentially blind as its eyes lack lenses. It uses echolocation to locate its prey and uniquely swims sideways.