Forcing Turtles Out of Their Shells

Turtle
Image: Zoological Society of London

About $23,600 worth of rare Indian freshwater turtles were seized in Uttar Pradesh earlier today.

Turtle meat is routinely sold on the black market as a specialty aphrodisiac.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that a large chunk of the contraband finds its way to Southeast Asian countries, where turtle meat is converted into crunchy chips for convenient consumption,” explains Ram Kumar, a UP-police chief.

India has 28 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles “making it one of the most diverse chelonian faunas in the world (source).”
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— Hilal Nakiboglu Isler
January 8, 2007

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