According to Indian wildlife specialists, deliberate poisoning is likely to blame for the deaths of scores of turtles in a lake near Mumbai.
After a local legislator urged them to examine a bad odor near the body of water in Kalyan, roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of India's entertainment capital, conservation officials were alerted to the situation.
57 Indian flapshell turtles were murdered, while another six were rescued, according to Suhas Pawar of the Wild Animal and Reptile Rescue conservation group.
He told AFP that the reptiles were likely murdered to prevent them from eating fish that had been illegally bred in the lake.
"Everything is being probed right now," Pawar added, adding that a post-mortem and scientific study will disclose the actual cause of the deaths.
He went on to say that the Covid-19 limits imposed over the last two years had likely resulted in a significant increase in the local turtle population.
"Restrictions on human activities undoubtedly enhanced the lake's fish populations, and these turtles were now feasting on them, which enraged some residents," Pawar added.
Although Indian flapshell turtles are not uncommon, they are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
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Indian Flapshell Turtle Status
Lissemys punctata (Indian flapshell turtle) is a freshwater turtle found in South Asia. The moniker "flap-shelled" comes from the plastron having femoral flaps. When the limbs retreat into the shell, these flaps of skin cover them. It's uncertain how effective the flaps are at deterring predators. In the South Asian regions, Indian flapshell turtles are widespread. It is an evolutionary connection between softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles morphologically. Profiteering and habitat destruction are two challenges to their existence.
On Bangladesh's request, the Indian flapshell turtle was included in CITES' Appendix I in 1975. But, in 1983, the turtle was delisted from the endangered species list (48 FR 52740). This measure, however, had no impact on the turtle's CITES Appendix I designation.
Conservation Status
The Indian Flapshell turtle lives in rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, lakes, irrigation canals, and tanks, where the water is shallow, peaceful, and often stagnant. Because of the turtle's proclivity to burrow, waters with sand or mud bottoms are desirable. By eating on snails, insects, and bits of deceased animals, the turtle helps to minimize pollution in aquatic settings.
Freshwater turtles and their eggs are a frequent source of protein-rich diet in several South Asian countries. There's also a widespread belief that turtle flesh and eggs have aphrodisiac properties.
As a result, these turtles are frequently abused for financial gain. This is notably true in Bangladesh and India, where the Indian flapshell turtle is bigger and has more flesh than other turtles in the area.
Because of the great value of these meat and conservation efforts, the price of meat has risen, increasing the illegal international exploitation and killing of these animals. Changes to the turtle's native habitat caused by dams and barrages, agriculture along river banks, and pollution are severe risks to the turtle's existence.
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