Star tortoises are a species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and are one of the highest and most popular selling tortoises in the illegal pet markets of Mumbai.
Two men hailing from Karnataka were nabbed at Vashi highway after they were found carrying 293 star tortoises stuffed in plastic bags inside backpacks on Saturday noon. The operation was carried out based on a tip-off received by the staff of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) along with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Anti poaching unit (Wildlife Wing).
Star tortoises are a species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and are one of the highest and most popular selling tortoises in the illegal pet markets of Mumbai. People consider them lucky as myths abound on it being a harbinger of good fortune (including feng shui).
As per M Maranko, Regional Deputy Director, WCCB, Western Regional office, said the duo — Shrikant Lingaraju and Kondaiah Lingaraju — were caught while they were alighting from a Pune-Mumbai Shivneri bus. "As soon as their bags were searched, the consignment of star tortoises was found and it was revealed that they were out to sell them. The tortoises were also being carried in an extremely inhuman manner. The bigger ttortoises were kept at the bottom and the smaller ones were stacked upon them," he said.
He added that the case was transferred to the State Forest Department's anti-poaching unit (Wildlife Wing), who on Monday, got the custody of the duo for four days. The agency along with WCCB is trying to find out who the buyers are.
In a similar joint raid in the past, which was one of the largest seizures in Mumbai, 523 star tortoises were rescued from a woman after a team of DRI, WCCB and Thane Forest Department caught her at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Kurla.
The star tortoises are currently being looked after by volunteers of PAWS-Mumbai. "One of the accused, Kondaiah, was also arrested from Kolkata in 2012 for the same offence and hence these repeat offenders deserve to face strict punishment," said Sunish Kunju, Wildlife Warden for Mumbai City and Founder of PAWS-Mumbai adding that it was obvious that after the September raid those smuggling star tortoises were alerted and were now not using trains as transportation, leaving buses as an obvious option.
Maranko said the WCCB will contact the Karnataka Forest Department and initiate the process to ensure the release of this batch of tortoises somewhere close to the Bannergatta National Park. "We were successful in releasing 734 star tortoises in their natural habitat last time," he said.
STAR TORTOISES
- Are a species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
- Are the highest and most popular selling tortoises in the illegal pet markets of Mumbai
- Are caught from wild and traded as there are myths that they are harbinger of good fortune
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Star tortoises")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}