Mangaluru: Four booked for poaching Indian black turtles for ritual after grandmother’s death

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 16, 2026: Four individuals have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly poaching Indian Black turtles from a river and cooking the meat as part of a ritual following their grandmother’s death. Reports say their grandmother, who passed away due to age-related issues, was fond of turtle meat.

The Forest Department has filed a case under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act against Manikantha (42), Rajendra (54), Vignesh (32), and Prashanth (35). Further investigation is ongoing.

Acting on specific intelligence, officials conducted a raid on Saturday and found the accused on the banks of the Somavathi River, attempting to cook meat after allegedly hunting four turtles.

The team detained the four individuals at the scene and recovered four partially burnt turtle carcasses from their possession.