Injured turtles to stay in zoo till they recover

The Times of India , Saturday, December 12, 2015
Correspondent : TNN
BHUBANESWAR: Twelve fresh water turtles (ChitraIndica), which were rescued a few days ago and are considered endangered, will be kept for a little while longer at Nandankanan zoo here as they are under observation.

Wildlife campaigners, however, have opposed the move to keep them in captivity.

According to official sources, poachers had clipped the turtles' legs to put them in a gunny bag. "At this point in time, it is not wise to release them into the wild as veterinary doctors are keeping a watch on their health condition," zoo director Sudarshan Panda told TOI.

The turtles were rescued while being smuggled by poachers at Aitalanga village near Cuttack under the city forest division. "The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, prohibits keeping protected species in captivity and outside the wild. We urge the government to release them into a suitable habitat," said secretary, Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO), BiswajitMohanty.

A wildlife officer said poachers were taking turtles to Kolkata to sell them off at a high price.

Mohanty said the zoo authorities keeping rescued and seized animals in captivity violated norms. "A King Cobra rescued in Bhubaneswar is still languishing in the zoo. A Royal Bengal tiger, which walked into the zoo in 2013, has been kept in captivity even now, despite orders from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to the contrary," Mohanty alleged.

WSO has also demanded a probe by the Crime Branch into the deaths of elephants. It has given an example of poaching of an elephant at Kanapeju area of Daspalla range under Nayagarh forest division.

The departmental inquiry led to the suspension of two forest guards and one forester after their roles to cover up poaching was proved. "But, the wildlife department came out with a report which said a female elephant had died and not a tusker, even though eyewitnesses reported the presence of two sockets where the tusks. The tusks were pulled out," said Mohanty. The veterinary surgeon couldn't ascertain the sex of the animal because the carcass was decomposed, he added.

Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) S S Srivastava said, "We rely on the veterinary surgeons report on determination of sex since we don't have that expertise."

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Injured-turtles-to-stay-in-zoo-till-they-recover/articleshow/50148148.cms
 


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