By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Acting on the basis of specific intelligence developed by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Zonal Unit, Lucknow, seized 436 baby Indian Tent turtles from a person illegally transporting them interstate.
The person had received the consignment of baby Gangetic turtles in Kanpur and transporting them to West Bengal through Varanasi by road in a bus for further supply in grey market. The DRI officers, Varanasi, stopped and searched the said bus and arrested one person along with 436 baby turtles in the early hours yesterday and rescued the 436 baby Indian Tent turtles.
After the initial seizure under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the case was handed over to Forest Department, Varanasi, UP, for further investigation. The Indian Tent Turtle is protected species under Schedule 1 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
In its effort to save the environment, in this Financial Year till date, DRI, Lucknow has rescued 1721 babies of Gangetic Turtles in 5 separate cases.Illegal trade and habitat degradation are major threats to these species.
