8 endangered turtles to be released into Delhi's Asola Bhatti Sanctuary: Forest dept

The area will be monitored by guards and CCTV cameras, he said.At present, the terrapins are being kept in a small pond at a temporary rescue centre at the office of DCF South.

The Delhi Forest Department will soon release eight turtles of an endangered species into the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, officials said on Friday.

The spotted black terrapins were rescued by the Delhi Police during a raid and the Tis Hazari Court handed them over to the forest department for rehabilitation on June 3, said Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Amit Anand.

The species is listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act. It is also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Anand said, ''Since it is an endangered species, not only will we have to create a proper habitat for these terrapins but will have to protect them too. Otherwise, they can be stolen again.'' The turtles will be released into a suitable lake after developing proper living conditions around it. The area will be monitored by guards and CCTV cameras, he said.

At present, the terrapins are being kept in a small pond at a temporary rescue centre at the office of DCF South. PTI GVS DIV DIV

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)