Thane: Seized star tortoises to be sent back home

The species is one of the most trafficked in the world owing to the unique star-like pattern on its shell. File pic

The Thane forest department plans to repatriate Indian star tortoises that were seized and recovered recently.

The department's territorial wing has around 100 such reptiles, which are being cared for at the Shilphata Transit Treatment Centre, Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and Bhavan's treatment centre as well as by the NGOs Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA), Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) and PAWS Mumbai.

"A repatriation exercise is being initiated to rehabilitate and release these species. DNA extraction and mapping will help understand where these species are found and after that, they will be shifted, quarantined and soft-released into suitable natural habitats,"said Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane Pawan Sharma, who is also the president of RAWW.

In the past, such repatriation exercises were done by the Thane Territorial Wing in Karnataka and Maharashtra by the department and various NGOs.

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Deputy Conservator of Forests S D Saste will be reviewing the plan after the reptiles undergo a detailed medical examination and the fit ones are selected for the process. The star tortoises need time will continue to receive treatment and the ones which cannot be released shall be shifted to a permanent lifetime
care facility.

Sharma and his fellow honorary wildlife wardens, Sunish Subramanian and Rohit Mohite, are assisting in the coordination, communications, planning and execution of this exercise.

A few days ago, the MHB Colony police arrested a person and seized 20 Indian star tortoises from him.

Indian star tortoises are a native species. The reptiles are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and are listed in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna), which regulates the international trade of wildlife. The species is one of the most trafficked in the world owing to the unique star-like radiating pattern on its shell.

It is poached extensively for meat and traditional medicine as well as for the exotic pet trade. Illegal trafficking of tortoises occurs from southern India to Singapore, China, Thailand and Malaysia.

20
No of star tortoises recently seized by MHB Colony cops