Men filmed throwing and kicking sea turtle in Chlorakas

Video footage emerged on social media on Monday, showing four men, reportedly employees of the Chlokaras community council, kicking and throwing a sea turtle on a local beach.

According to philenews, the local community council said that the turtle had already been dead and that council staff was instructed to collect the turtle and bury it.

The council reportedly said that the staff threw the animal onto the ground – a sandy beach – to clean the turtle’s body of sand.

A representative of the fisheries department was called by the community council to examine the turtle, determining that it had been dead and in an advanced state of decomposition.

A report has been filed with the animal police, who have carried out investigations in the area.

The turtle’s body has since been received by the police, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact time and cause of death.

Sea turtles and their eggs have been protected by law in Cyprus since 1971.

The island is home to two sea turtle species: the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), both of which live in the open sea, but come ashore to lay their eggs on beaches along the coastline in the period from May to July.