Legal move on Indian turtle 'god'

Officials in the Indian state of Orissa have filed a case against a priest for illegally keeping a rare turtle under the belief that it is a god. The freshwater Gangetic turtle has natural markings on its shell which resemble the eyes of a Hindu deity. Gangetic turtles are on an official list of endangered species in India.

Worshippers chased away forestry officials who tried to rescue the creature in Kendrapara district, about 150km (93 miles) from Bhubaneswar. The distinctive markings of the turtle apparently convinced villagers that it was an incarnation of Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Orissa state. In Hindu mythology, sea turtles are believed to be an incarnation of the god.



The soft-shelled creature was found by Ramesh Patra in a river in Kendrapara district and is being kept in a water tank on the premises of the local temple. Hundreds of people from the nearby villages have been flocking to the temple to catch a glimpse of the "divine turtle" since it arrived.

Many are worshipping "Jaga", the term of endearment they have given to the turtle. The turtle belongs to one of the most endangered species of freshwater turtles, and is protected under India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.



Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prasanna Kumar Behera said that the case was filed on Thursday after the priest and villagers refused to release the turtle. "We tried our best to convince people that there is nothing divine about it. But they would just not listen," he said.

Earlier, activists of a local non-governmental organisation tried in vain to convince villagers about the need to release the turtle. However, they did succeed in persuading them to feed small fish to the turtle instead of milk - which they said would have killed it within days.