Haldwani, June 23 -- The state forest department on Sunday recovered a 15-kilogram soft-shelled turtle from a vehicle in Sitarganj, Udham Singh Nagar district, an official said, adding that a search has been launched to arrest the accused. According to Himanshu Bagri, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Terai East forest division, the recovery was made following a tip-off about an illegal wildlife deal in Sitarganj. Acting on the information, a forest patrol team set up a checkpoint near the Jhadi Temple area on Sunday. "A car approached the checkpoint, and as soon as our team signalled the driver to stop, he complied but immediately jumped out and fled on foot. While some forest personnel chased the suspect, others searched the vehicle and discovered a soft-shelled turtle weighing approximately 15kg concealed inside," he said. He further said that the vehicle was seized and a case has been registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits the hunting and possession of any species listed under Schedules I to IV of the Act. Efforts are underway to trace the vehicle owner and identify the absconding suspect. Forest officials said that turtles are often poached for their meat, which remains in demand in several localities of Udham Singh Nagar. This is not the first such incident in the state. In January last year, a wildlife smuggler in the Shakti Farm area and recovered 31 turtles from his possession....