RAMPACHODAVARAM
The Forest Department officials on Friday released 1,426 Indian Flat-shelled Turtles (Lissemys punctate) into the Musurumilli reservoir on the outskirts of Rampachodavaram in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
On May 16, the Folkspeta Forest Range staff seized 1,589 turtles while two persons were transporting them in a van from Ramachandrapuram in East Godavari district to Malkangiri district in Odisha via Rampachodavaram. The turtles were packed in gunny bags.
Folkspeta Forest Ranger Karunakar said that the accused have sourced the turtles from Ramachandrapuram area for exporting them to Odisha. “As many as 163 turtles have died in the van itself during the seizure. The rest have been released into the Musurumilli reservoir,” Mr. Karunakar told The Hindu.
