BHUBANESWAR: City-based Snake Helpline has sought action against a video creator in the state for allegedly cooking and eating an Indian flapshell turtle and posting a reel of the same on social media platforms in a blatant violation of wildlife protection law.
General Secretary of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallik has urged PCCF Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Prem Kumar Jha to launch a probe into the incident and take appropriate action.
In a reel posted from a YouTube channel VIVEK-024, a youth was seen cooking and eating the flapshell turtle, a schedule-I species. Mallik said the video that prima facie shows hunting of the reptile is a blatant violation of section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act. Besides, uploading such video also amounts to crime under section 52 of the WPA.
Mallik said that the video has also been shared by the content creator on other platforms including Instagram. “The video is most likely shot in Odisha and the person involved seems to be an Odia. Appropriate action should be taken in this regard as such videos could also encourage others to consume turtle meat in the state,” he said.