Visakhapatnam: In an incident of wildlife poaching, the Folkspeta forest division officials discovered 64 deceased turtles and rescued seven live ones on the outskirts of Gangavaram in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district agency area on Friday. The poachers tried to escape from the forest range officer (FRO) M. Karunakar and his team, who were conducting a vehicle check at Gangavaram acting on the tip-off, on Thursday. Though they escaped the police, they left the turtles and vanished into the forest.
The following day, locals reported the presence of turtles on the road. Reportedly, the poachers were attempting to transport the turtles to Odisha, where there is a high demand for turtle meat. “After some search, we found gunny bags containing turtles, many of which had escaped into the nearby water stream. Approximately 200 turtles returned to the water, 64 were deceased and seven were alive,” Karunakar said.
The turtle poaching incident is part of an extensive inter-state wildlife trafficking operation, catering to the demand for turtle meat in Odisha, said Karunakar. He emphasised the need for additional anti-poaching squads in vulnerable regions, including ASR, East Godavari, West Godavari, Konaseema and Rajamahendravaram districts. The forest department has identified significant hotspots for turtle poaching, including Tanuku, Ramachandrapuram, Penugonda, Ethakota and Akividu. The officials stressed the need for a coordinated approach to crack down on illegal trade, which threatened local wildlife and ecological balance.
Caption: In an incident of wildlife poaching, the Folkspeta forest division officials discovered 64 deceased turtles.
