Paradip, July 3: Forest personnel today rescued a rare albino turtle that was held captive by the natives of a remote village in Kendrapara district who were worshiping the aquatic animal with the belief that it was an incarnation of God.

The freshwater turtle had strayed into a water body in Kora village within the limits of Kendrapra rural police station. Curious residents caught it alive. "Its unconventional look had prompted the people to believe that it was an embodiment of divinity. After placing it on the pedestal of the village deity, they started worshiping it," said forest range officer, Cuttack territorial forest division, Himanshu Sekhar Muduli.

"As it is an endangered animal under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, we rushed to the village early this morning and rescued it. The villagers were initially reluctant to give away the 'prized possession'. The villagers were of the firm belief that it was a harbinger of peace and prosperity. However, better sense prevailed and they handed over the turtle to forest department," said Muduli.

Wildlife and revenue officials, who went to the place after getting the news, were initially chased away by the devotees. They gave in after being told that it was an offence to hold captive a scheduled animal. The reptile is an endangered species under the Schedule-1 category of the Wildlife Protection Act.

"We managed to convince the priests and villagers to hand it over to the forest department. Villagers were initially adamant and unrelenting," said the range officer.

The turtle was in a state of distress. The turtle's albino skin texture gave it a different look from the freshwater turtles that are usually seen in the water bodies in these parts of the state.

"As the news the albino turtle spread, people made a beeline to catch glimpse of it yesterday. Many believed that it was a divine messenger. People started worshipping it. However the forest personnel told us that it was an offence to keep a turtle confined. So the people were forced to hand it over to the officials," said Harihar Samal, the sarpanch of Kora gram panchayat.