Miscreants capture 100-year-old rare turtle found during cleaning of ancient pond, probe on

Police officials said that catching, selling, rearing or eating a Schedule 1 animal, including a turtle, is a criminal offence. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

Buxar (Bihar): Several fish and turtles including a 50 kg turtle believed to be over 100 years old were found during the cleaning of an ancient pond at the Baba Brahmeshwar Nath Temple in the Dumraon subdivision of Buxar district. While people gathered there started recording the incident on their mobile phones, some villagers tried capturing the turtles. A video of some people trying to capture the rare turtle came to the fore. The miscreants were successful in running away with the turtle.

Taking cognizance of the video, police officials said that a case has been registered against the accused and further action will be taken after a thorough probe into the incident. According to official sources, only a turtle of over 100 years old can weigh up to 50 kilograms. In the video, some villagers can be seen struggling hard to capture the turtle in a sack. However, after a lot of effort, the villagers were successful in captivating the turtle in a sack. The miscreants ran away with the turtle, after which the villagers informed the local police about the incident.

A local said, "The work of beautification of Baba Brahmeshwar Nath temple is going following the government's orders. An ancient pond here was being cleaned, during which several fish and turtles came out of the pond. Villagers gathered here to capture the rare sight. However, some miscreants had an eye on the rare turtle which weighed around 50 kilograms. They managed to seize the turtle in a sack and ran away. We informed the local police about the incident, after which they have initiated an investigation into the incident."

Sub Inspector Subhash Kumar said, "We got information about some miscreants captivating a 100-year-old turtle found during cleaning of a pond at an ancient temple. A probe has been initiated into the incident and action will be taken against those found guilty." He further said, "According to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, catching, selling, rearing or eating a Schedule 1 animal, including a turtle, is a crime. Harming a turtle can result in seven years in prison."