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Indian Star Tortoises
Why it is in news?
- 1,125 endangered Indian Star Tortoises which were meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh were seized
- The Divisional Forest Officer of Vizag certified that the species were Indian Star Tortoises (Geochelone elegans).
Listed ‘Vulnerable’
- Indian Star Tortoises is categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ in the red list of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
- The species are also listed in the Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and prohibited from export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
- The species are liable for confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.
Source
The Hindu