Forest officials arrested four persons in Kilimanoor on charge of attempting to sell an Indian star tortoise on Monday.
The accused persons were identified as Betty Varghese of Adoor, Gireesh of Anchal, Rajesh of Mayyanad in Kollam, and Raju of Mundakkal in Kollam.
They were apprehended by a team led by Thiruvananthapuram Flying Squad Divisional Forest Officer J.R. Ani during an attempt to sell the animal which weighs around one-and-a-half kg.
Palode range officer S.V. Vinod, who was part of the team, said star tortoises were in high demand owing to the myth that the reptile brought good luck for the possessor. The public should be alerted against falling prey to such misconceptions, he said.
Besides being listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Indian star tortoise is included on the ‘Red List’ of threatened species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
