Ludhiana: Forest dept seizes turtles from eatery, owner held

The recent wildlife recovery at an eatery in Mundian Kalan, Ludhiana, involved the seizure of three rare turtles protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act

Less than three weeks after an illegal parrot trade was busted, another case of wildlife captivity has surfaced in Ludhiana, with protected turtle species recovered from an eatery in Mundian Kalan. The eatery owner has been booked and arrested, forest officials said.

The three turtles rescued from the eatery in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo)

Acting on a tip-off, teams from the police and forest department, along with an NGO, recovered two Indian roofed turtles and one Indian tent turtle from an aquarium at the premises. The species are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, making their possession illegal.

Rajpura-based environmentalist Sahil Sharma, who alerted authorities, said the turtles were being kept as pets and are now in the custody of the forest department.

Sharma alleged that the FIR registration was delayed, claiming it was only after he contacted Maneka Gandhi, who intervened with the police, that the case was registered.

Forest range officer Narinder Singh, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, said the department would seek court permission to release the turtles into their natural habitat.

On March 21, Jamalpur police and the wildlife department had arrested a man for attempting to sell protected rose-ringed parakeets in the same area, raising concerns over illegal wildlife trade in the city.