The 201 star tortoises, which were seized by the Air Intelligence Unit have been taken in custody by the Mumbai Range of the Forest Department
The 201 star tortoises, which were seized by the Air Intelligence Unit have been taken in custody by the Mumbai Range of the Forest Department.
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On Friday, the Mumbai Teritorail Range of Thane Forest Department took custody of 199 star tortoises protected in schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and two pond turtles protected under schedule 1 of the same act. The turtles are now being looked by the forest department.
According to officials, the turtles were stuffed in four bags inside four briefcases. “The turtles were in a traumatized and dehydrated state while they were handed over to the forest department, and are now being fed food and water and further allowed to stabilise and rest with the help and support of our volunteers at RAWW, who will be assisting the forest staff in taking care of these reptiles till further actions are initiated,” said a FD official.