Vadodara: An 180 kg tortoise was rescued in critical condition from the Navlakhi pond and safely released into the Vishwamitri River on Thursday.

The president of the city’s Wildlife Rescue Trust, Arvind Pawar, stated that a call was received on their helpline reporting that a tortoise was trying to escape from the Navlakhi pond. Based on this, the rescue team of the organization reached the pond quickly. They found the pond in a very poor state, containing plastic, ropes, iron scrap, and other debris. Despite the dire situation, aquatic animals were forced to remain in the pond. The spread of such waste had deprived these animals of food, causing them to attempt to leave the pond. As a result, the 180 kg tortoise, attempting to escape, was rescued with great effort by the organization’s workers and handed over to the forest department. However, due to its severe condition, it was treated and then released into the Vishwamitri River. DeshGujarat