48 tortoises recovered in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, Jan 9 (IANS) As many as 48 rare species of tortoises were recovered alive in Uttar Pradesh, a state forest official said.

The tortoises were recovered Thursday night after two men were intercepted at a railway station in Shahganj locality of Jaunpur, about 150 km from here.

'One man, identified as Sudhir Kumar, was nabbed while the other managed to flee,' forest ranger Pratap Narayan Tiwari told IANS.

He said Kumar was handed over the tortoises by some people of Sultanpur district, who are involved in a smuggling racket operating from Kolkata.

The tortoises were being taken to Kolkata.

All the tortoises recovered are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA).