Madagascar's 'tortoise mafia' on the attack

[samstar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13799205

0.0.2 Radiated Tortoise

[SILVERSTAR]

wow i didnt realize madagascars tortoises were in that much trouble,it said in the next ten years they will be gone and there will be problems even if the poaching were to stop rite now,its crazy that they were selling tortoise soup for a mere $2.50 people here pay thousands of dollars for em alive,i will always remember this when i order THE SPECIAL,its really sad when there own government wont help out with the tortoise situation almost like they dont care and as the article kinda suggested they are part of the problem.The government officials prolly order THE SPECIAL themselves when they go on trips and their familys have prolly ate the tortoise meat for generations.....i mean wut can really be done if they dont wanna help the tortoise themselves.

[Fernando]

"He says the streets of Tsiombe and Beloka are littered with tortoise shells - an unfortunate sign of the insatiable appetite people have acquired for them."

Wow...how sad.

[yagyujubei]

Wouldn't it be ironic if smuggling were their only hope,

[Neal]

Man, why couldn't they poach sulcatas instead of these types. Sulcatas would feed way more people than a radiated would.

Just Kidding

[SILVERSTAR]

LOL YEAH I GUESS IT WOULD BE A MAJOR SOURCE OF INCOME(THE SMUGGLING)BUT THERES OTHER STUFF TO EAT LIKE GRUBS AND I THINK ID RATHER EAT FROG LEGS OR AT LEAST A SNAPPER...LOL

[wrmitchell22]

Leave the sulcatas alone!! lol!

---

This is awful, I was in San diego last week and saw at least 3 types of Tortoises and even more turtle species. It is sad to think that will be the only way to see them I hate what we do to our animals!

[Laura]

if people went there to see live tortoise in the tourist trade.. like they do on safari for elephants lions etc.. then they would have a bigger reason to save them.. since they dont... they wont... i say BIRTH CONTROL for the humans is great place to start!!

[natsamjosh]

One of the problems I have with this article is that it gives no perspective or weights to the causes of the tortoise decline. Specifically, the "pet trade" is blamed (as it always is,) but it's hard to believe the pet trade has much impact compared to tortoise consumption by humans and habitat decline. Maybe I'm just sensitive to it, but I'm tired of seeing the "pet trade" being constantly blamed for a decline of a species, when there is no evidence to support the that assertion.

Either way, though, hopefully the tortoises can survive the human onslaught.

[EricIvins]

I don't think alot of people here know alot about what's going on in Madagascar........

There is hardly any Tourism, because their is hardly any pristine habitats left........Measures have been taken to preserve land, just to have it torn down or stripped of resources........People are very poor, and really, most of Madagascars diversity will be gone in a few years.......The Tortoises don't have long, because they are easy targets........

[Torty Mom]

Just awful and really very sad.

[samstar]

From the way I look at it, give it 5 years before the Madagascar tortoises in the wild go extinct.

[yagyujubei]

[quote='samstar' pid='271183' dateline='1309410799']
From the way I look at it, give it 5 years before the Madagascar tortoises in the wild go extinct.
[/quote
I agree, plus many of their unique plants.

[tortoises101]

Let's just hope that it's not too late.

[SILVERSTAR]

Well like the article said even if it all stops now the tortoises will still face many problems repopulating.