The forest department has fined wildlife filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Aishwarya Sridhar Rs 20,000 for allegedly transporting an Indian star tortoise illegally from Panvel to Pune and warned her not to repeat the mistake. mid-day in its August 22 edition revealed how the department had booked Sridhar.

The Panvel-based filmmaker had sent the reptile to RESQ Charitable Trust in Pune for treatment, a monthly report by the facility alerted the authorities about the alleged violation. The case against Sridhar was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 on August 3. On August 18, the assistant conservator of forest territorial and wildlife, Panvel, sent a notice to her.