Over 600 rare turtles seized in Bihar

Police recovered more than 600 endangered freshwater turtles from poachers in Bihar's Katihar district.

Police recovered more than 600 endangered freshwater turtles from poachers in Bihar's Katihar district.

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A routine check by police revealed the turtles stowed away into a Tata Sumo vehicle. Three people were arrested in the connection, police said. This is the fourth case of police recovering turtles from smugglers in Bihar in the past two months.

The arrested smugglers told police they were taking the turtles from Uttar Pradesh to Bangladesh via Kolkata. "They told us that they were involved in smuggling of turtles to Bangladesh because the demand for these rare animals is high there," the official said.

The turtles, called Ganga turtles, live in the river Ganges and are listed under the Wildlife Protection Act. They play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance of the river.