On Friday morning, 31 turtles were found dead in the Kamalanagar Lake, on Ajwa Road in Vadodara. The locals caught sight of turtles floating in the lake and informed GSPCA and Wildlife SOS Raj Bhavsar. GSPCA volunteers and a Forest Department team rushed to the spot. The dead turtles were recovered from the lake and were handed over to Nitin Patel from the forest department for further investigation.
The cause of death will be revealed after the post-mortem report. A tortoise is also believed to have died in the lake. The first information received was about an underwater blast for fishing, which could have lead to the death of so many turtles.
The deaths of the turtles are shocking. They fall under the Schedule 1 of Wildlife Act. The lake was leased out to someone who must have resorted to this illegal practice of fishing. The reports are awaited and strict legal action under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 against the culprits will be taken.
