Mumbai: 10 rare star tortoises seized from Crawford Market; one person arrested

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Maharashtra's forest department seized 10 rare star tortoises from a popular market in South Mumbai on Monday and arrested one person, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, the forest department's Thane unit under the Mumbai range seized the 10 live star tortoises from Crawford Market. The reptiles were found in possession of a person who was arrested while trying to sell them, he said.

The tortoises were taken to a Thane facility for medical examination and later handed over to the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) for further care and rehabilitation, added the official.

The association is a non-governmental organization working towards human-wildlife conflict mitigation and promoting urban wildlife conservation.

Star tortoises are one of the most trafficked species in illegal native wildlife trade due to their high demand in the market for keeping as pets, said Pawan Sharma, founder-president of RAWW and an honorary wildlife warden with the forest department.

Possession, transport or sale of this species is illegal.

Buying, selling or keeping any native wildlife is banned and individuals involved in a such activity can be booked for violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Sharma said.

Star tortoises have been given more protection under the Act following a recent amendment. They are now listed under Schedule I of the Act which gives them equal protection as the tiger, he added.

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