Born free: 3 turtles, parrot sent back into the wild by activists
NAVI MUMBAI: Animal activists in the city ensured that the extended the
concept of freedom to animals as well by rescuing three turtles and a
parrot from the city on Thursday.
(Above)
The Red Eared Slider Turtle and one of the two Star Turtles that were
rescued on Thursday. Activists from NGO Paws also set a parrot, which
was hurt six months ago, free.
City-based not-for-profit, Plant and Animal Welfare Society (Paws),
rescued the three turtles- of which two were Star Turtles and one a Red
Eared Slider Turtle- from Rabale in Navi Mumbai and Kurla in Mumbai.
The NGO said they received a call from an unidentified animal lover, who told them about a turtle who was spotted near Ganesh Visarjan Talao in Rabale. When a team from Paws team reached the spot, they realised that the turtle was a Red Eared Slider Turtle, which a rare species found in the southern part of the United States and in northern Mexico.
“This species is commonly seen as a pet at many homes. However, when it grows, people release it at the nearest water bodies such as a well or a pond. In this case, with the pond overflowing because of the rain, the turtle may have come out of the pond,” said Sunish Subramanian Kunju, founder and animal welfare officer, Paws.
The NGO said they received a call from an unidentified animal lover, who told them about a turtle who was spotted near Ganesh Visarjan Talao in Rabale. When a team from Paws team reached the spot, they realised that the turtle was a Red Eared Slider Turtle, which a rare species found in the southern part of the United States and in northern Mexico.
“This species is commonly seen as a pet at many homes. However, when it grows, people release it at the nearest water bodies such as a well or a pond. In this case, with the pond overflowing because of the rain, the turtle may have come out of the pond,” said Sunish Subramanian Kunju, founder and animal welfare officer, Paws.
In the second i ncident, the NGO received a call at 8am, from an
animal lover Chandramani Yadav, who told them he had spotted a few boys
carrying a living creature in a plastic bag near Lokmanya Tilak
Terminus, Kurla.
“When I spoke to the boys, they told me that they were selling the turtles for Rs300. I informed Paws about it and then kept the boys engaged in conversation till the team reached there. However, after seeing them they boys threw the bag and ran away,” said Yadav.
Kunju said that on opening the bag they found two star turtles which are protected species under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “Kurla is known to house many illegal sellers of wildlife and in past, too, cases of animal trade have been registered,” he added
Activists from the NGO said they would soon send the turtles to a Rehabilitation Centre at Pune, after getting permission from the Forest Department,” said Nisha Kunju, administrator, Paws.
“When I spoke to the boys, they told me that they were selling the turtles for Rs300. I informed Paws about it and then kept the boys engaged in conversation till the team reached there. However, after seeing them they boys threw the bag and ran away,” said Yadav.
Kunju said that on opening the bag they found two star turtles which are protected species under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “Kurla is known to house many illegal sellers of wildlife and in past, too, cases of animal trade have been registered,” he added
Activists from the NGO said they would soon send the turtles to a Rehabilitation Centre at Pune, after getting permission from the Forest Department,” said Nisha Kunju, administrator, Paws.
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