The district wildlife personnel rescued 19 turtles from a roadside artificial tank recently near Station Square in the headquarters town and released them into the Budhabalanga river. The turtles belonging to the category of Indian Soft Shell are endangered species under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
The team was led by local range officer Prafulla Mallick. "After we received information about the illegal confinement of turtles, we swooped down on the spot and rescued them from a tank. They were of various age groups and sizes," informed Mallick.
This is second occasion the terrapins were seized from the same tanks. The turtles were reared by a few shop keepers of a market complex near Station Square area. They had kept the turtles in a water sump, which was built during construction of a market complex in the locality. The turtles had been an attraction for the visitors to the market complex and the passers-by.
"Despite due care such as changing of water and giving feeds regularly under artificial arrangement, the turtles were deprived of their natural environment for growth, mating and laying of eggs etc," said DFO Harshbardhan Udgata at whose instruction the entire operation was carried out.
"As per the Supreme Court guidelines, wild species can't be kept in captivity for display. However, with the permission of the central zoo authorities, they can be confined for the purpose of education or promotion of tourism," DFO said. "We didn't take any action against any one for the illegal confinement of the turtles. We let off the turtle groomers after giving a warning. We would fill the tank with sand soon," Udgata said.