MARGAO: The Goa State Forest Department staff rescued three semi-aquatic terrestrial turtle species from Colva Beach on Monday.
Two of the turtles were Red-Eared Sliders, a non-native exotic species that has unfortunately increased in India due to unregulated pet trade. These turtles are harmful to local habitats and native wildlife, and should not be released into the wild.
It appears that the Red-Eared Sliders may have escaped from captivity or been abandoned, hence their presence on the beach, which is not their natural habitat.
The Forest Department appeals to the public to avoid purchasing these exotic species and to refrain from releasing them into any natural habitat in Goa.
The third species rescued was the Indian Flapshell Turtle, a semi-aquatic terrestrial turtle native to Goa. These turtles live near ponds and streams. Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, it is illegal to keep Flapshell turtles as pets. Due to increasing habitat loss, they may be displaced and found on beaches or illegally kept as pets and subsequently escaped or abandoned.
The lifeguards provide first responder support and report marine wildlife strandings in Goa to the Forest Department and these turtles were saved from drowning in the sea, as they are not adapted to the marine habitat, said the department in a statement issued.
The Deputy Range Officer (DRO), Rajesh Naik, said, “The non-native species will be kept in captivity, and the native species will be released into an appropriate habitat. If you spot any wildlife on the beach that appears to be in distress or dead, please report it immediately to the nearest lifeguard tower or inform the Goa Forest Department.”
Sources suggest that these turtles were likely kept as pets in a house earlier and were subsequently dumped near the beach.
Earlier in the day, there was misinformation that the three turtles captured were Olive Ridley Turtles, which the Forest Department clarified immediately.
