Tourists filmed Chloraki Community Council staff repeatedly throwing a sea turtle to the ground and kicking it on the beach.
The incident occurred on Monday, January 12, and led to a police investigation, as well as a necropsy to determine the cause and time of death of the animal.
The video footage shows four men next to the turtle. One of them forcefully throws her to the ground several times, and at one point kicks her, while another man takes pictures of what is happening on his mobile phone.
Community council sources said the turtle was already dead when officers arrived. According to them, workers were called to pick up and bury the animal, as is usually done in such cases. The employees themselves claim that they threw the turtle on the ground only to clear it of sand.
After receiving a complaint, representatives of the animal protection police arrived at the scene of the emergency and inspected the area. The council contacted the Department of Fisheries at around 2.30pm and a department officer examined the turtle's body at the council's depot. He assessed that the animal was dead and in a state of significant decomposition.
Police seized the turtle carcass and sent it for necropsy to determine the exact time and cause of death.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
