PodcastEndangered sea turtle killed with pump rifle in Turkey's Muğla
An endangered loggerhead sea turtle, known as Caretta caretta, has been found dead in Muğla's Milas district. Officials have determined that the loggerhead turtle was killed by a pump rifle.
Duvar English
Unidentified people have killed an endangered loggerhead sea turtle, known as Caretta caretta, with a pump rifle in the Aegean province of Muğla's Milas district, daily Sözcü reported on Aug. 14.
A local spotted the dead turtle at a beach at the town of Dalyan and notified of the situation to the authorities. “While doing a morning walk, we have seen that the turtle had washed ashore and could not move. We notified of the situation to the authorities. The shell of the turtle had been broken into pieces. We understood that it had been killed by shooting at it from a very short distance,” Sema Doğan was quoted as saying by Sözcü.
Officials from the Milas district directorate of agriculture and the Milas directorate of nature conservation and national parks handed over the turtle weighing 35 kg and measuring 60 cm long to the Muğla-based Sea Turtles Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER).
Following the analysis undertaken by DEKAMER experts, it came to light that the turtle had been killed by a pump rifle. The gendarmerie launched an investigation into the incident.
Loggerhead sea turtles are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.