(IN) 7 poachers held with an endangered tortoise

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4857147.cms

 

Rare tortoise recovered; seven poachers held

PTI 4 August 2009, 07:31pm IST

 

LAKHIMPUR (UP): A tortoise of an endangered family was recovered by a joint team

of police and forest department officials at Mahewaganj area here and arrested

seven persons in this connection.

 

Divisional forest officer, north Kheri, Kartik Kumar Singh said that the rare

tortoise was often used for " vasstu purposes " and in mystic worship.

 

He said the recovered " Eastern Hill " tortoise, zoological name of which is

Melanochelys Tricarinata, falls under schedule one of endangered species.

 

The tortoise is a native of hilly areas of Assam, West Bengal and Himachal

Pradesh, but occasionally found in certain pockets of Kheri district, Singh

said, adding that it is often used

 

Police said they arrested seven poachers while they were finalising a deal to

sell the rare reptile.

 

A case under Section 9 (prohibition of hunting) and Section 49B (prohibition of

animal trading) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 have been lodged against

the seven, identified as Ganga Ram, Jhallan, Ramasarey, Roshan Lal, Athar Ali,

Moharram Ali and Nasimuddin.

 

Though only one tortoise was recovered from them, police suspect that the

arrested could give information about people smuggling out such rare reptiles.