Sangareddy: Two soft-shelled turtles rescued from poachers in Lingampally

On Saturday evening, AWCS received a call from the wildlife lovers that Balaraj has put five turtles on sale. However, he had sold three of them by the time they reached the place.

Sangareddy: A man, who was selling soft-shelled turtles near BHEL of Sangareddy district, was caught by Animal Warriors Conservation Society (AWCS), an Ameenpur-based NGO working for animal protection in Telangana, on Saturday evening. The Sangareddy forest officials took him into custody on Sunday.

The accused Balaraj of Lingampally was catching the soft-shelled turtles in nearby tanks and lakes to sell them for Rs 750 each. He has been selling the turtles which were in demand for their meat in the locality. Apart from fishing for the turtles himself, he had also purchased them from local fishermen whenever they were caught accidentally in the fishing nets.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, AWCS activist Santoshi said Balraj had been selling the turtles for a while now and despite repeated warnings, he did not mend his ways. On Saturday evening, AWCS received a call from the wildlife lovers that Balaraj has put five turtles on sale. However, he had sold three of them by the time they reached the place.

“Since the soft-shelled turtle is a protected species under section 2 of Schedule 1 of the Wild Life Act, we handed over him to the Ramachandrapuram Police. Later, Sangareddy Forest officials have taken him into custody on Sunday,” Santoshi said. The forest officials are investigating into the poaching of the turtles.