Chennai airport officials may have failed to notice 601 star tortoises being smuggled out of the airport. But their counterparts in Malaysia managed to intercept the seven pieces of baggage in Kuala Lumpur containing the reptiles that are believed to have been flown out of Chennai.
Apart from their alacrity over the seizure, Malaysian forest and customs officials also displayed their compassionate side by taking good care of the reptiles in transit. They signed on the cartons, on which they had written messages wishing good luck, before sending the tortoises back to India.
A message on one carton in which quite a few squiggly tortoises made their way back to India had a message that read, “Remember to stay away from poachers. Good luck guys! Have a safe flight home. We may never see you again. We enjoyed your company”.
Malaysian forest department officials first got in touch with forest department officials in Dhaka as they were clueless about where the tortoises came from. It was then that they contacted the Tamil Nadu forest department. Only after wildlife officials here agreed to receive the reptiles did the Malaysian officials fly them back to Chennai.
Narayanan, deputy director of the wildlife crime control centre, who received the consignment in Chennai told DC that all the tortoises were healthy on arrival. “We are certain the reptiles were not poached from Tamil Nadu.
But when Malaysian forest officials said they lacked a suitable place to rear the tortoises, we decided to acquire the animals. The reptiles have been handed over to the city wildlife rescue centre at Velachery,” he said.
Velachery ranger S. David Raj said the reptiles are under quarantine and are fed leafy vegetables. They will soon be released into ideal swampy areas, preferably in one of the delta districts.
Star tortoises are smuggled into Malaysia as they are reared as pets there or consumed as a delicacy.
