Bargarh: The Bargarh Forest Department has arrested two youths for allegedly painting an image of Lord Jagannath on the shell of an Indian Flapshell Turtle and shooting video for social media reels. The accused were arrested from the Bijepur area and have been produced in court.
Indian Flapshell Turtle is a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
According to officials, the duo had recorded a video of the turtle with the painted image and posted it as a reel on their social media account. The video was widely circulated following which Subhendu Mallik, General Secretary of Snake Helpline, filed a formal complaint with the Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha. Mallik’s complaint highlighted that the Indian Flapshell Turtle is a Schedule I species, and any harm or misuse of it is an offense.
The complaint also demanded that the viral video be taken down and strict legal action be initiated against the accused. A copy of the complaint has been forwarded to the Additional Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau for further investigation. The turtle was later released into a waterbody.
