DRI rescues 436 baby Indian Tent Turtles in Lucknow
Dec 12, 2023
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 12 : Acting on the basis of specific intelligence developed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Zonal Unit Lucknow seized 436 baby Indian Tent Turtles from a person illegally transporting them interstate on Tuesday.
According to the official statement, 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 the grey market.
The DRI officers, Varanasi, stopped and searched the said bus, 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 the Forest Department, Varanasi, UP, for further investigation. The Indian Tent Turtle is a protected species under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
In its effort to save the environment, DRI, Lucknow, has rescued 1721 babies of gangetic turtles in five separate cases.
Illegal trade and habitat degradation are major threats to these species, according to the official statement.
