The reptiles, which belong to a species quite popular in the exotic pet trade despite being protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are currently under the care of wildlife conservation organisation, Wildlife SOS.

The NGO said it received a call about two tortoises at Indraprastha Park.

The person, who spotted the two tortoises, was out for a stroll on Sunday evening when he saw 20-25 crows hovering around a section of the bushes.

“Out of curiosity, decided to take a closer look. I was surprised to find two tortoises behind the bush. I called up my vet and got the NGO’s number,” the person, who wished not to be named, told Hindustan Times.

KartickSatyanarayan, co-founder of the Wildlife SOS, said, “We believe that the tortoises were abandoned in the park. This species is often kept as ‘exotic’ pets or for spiritual purposes. In India, it is illegal to possess and commercially trade protected tortoise species.”