Guwahati: Three endangered turtles were rescued by the forest department in Western Assam’s Dhubri district.
As per sources, based on specific inputs forest department staff rescued the turtles near the Sagolia area in Dhubri.
During the operation, two suspect wildlife traffickers were arrested. One e-rickshaw was also seized from them.
The source informed that the persons arrested are from West Bengal’s Tufanganj.
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The arrested accused were identified as Bhaskar Barman and Indrajit Barman of West Bengal. The turtles were being taken to Gauripur but the reason is not exactly known.
A source said that there might be a possibility that the turtles might have been brought for consumption.
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Of the three turtles, one is an Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle, the second one is an Indian Peacock softshell turtle and the third one is yet to be identified.
The source said that after medical treatment and examination, the turtles will be released into the wild.
The accused are being interrogated by the forest department for further leads on their activities.