At least 169 rare species tortoises rescued from Benapol were released into Gazipur Bangabandhu Safari Park yesterday.
Shibu Prasad Bhattacharya, officer-in-charge of the park, said Border Guard Bangladesh had rescued the tortoises from Baropota frontier when a group of smugglers were smuggling those into the country on Sunday.
Later, Khulna Wildlife Protection Department received the tortoises from BGB personnel.
Acting on a tipp-off, a team of BGB seized the wildlife when a group of smugglers were waiting at Baropota to bring the animals into the country, said Jessore BGB 26 Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Jahangir Hossain. But sensing the presence of the BGB, smugglers fled away from the scene leaving behindthe tortoise.
The price of the tortoises is about Tk8 lakh, said Jahangir Hossain.
Later, the tortoises were handed over to Khulna Wildlife Department authorities, he added.
