Developing overnight...Tortoises In the News

[TempestRising]

Hi! I'm new to the group and came across a developing story in Malaysia and wanted to share. It is visually terrible but Ive seen so many of you talk about how these beautiful animals are smuggled from country to country. Just seeing it for yourself brings it closer to home. Sorry @YvonneG I can't post in news/articles maybe you can move this if I haven't posted it in a proper place.

Malaysia Seized 330 Exotic Tortoises From Madagascar http://flip.it/o1Anb_ from Flipboard.

 

[wellington]

Thanks for sharing. So very sad seeing them like that.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm not really all that familiar with the star tortoises, but those pictured in the video looked like radiated tortoises to me?????? So glad they caught that guy.

 

[Markw84]

I'm not really all that familiar with the star tortoises, but those pictured in the video looked like radiated tortoises to me?????? So glad they caught that guy.

Yes, those are Radiated, not Indian Star. Interesting they would put out an official display of what was confiscated without knowing what they had!

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

The reports I have links to here are from Traffic. Estimated wild population is from 200 to 700 or there-about as of 1 few years ago. Annually a large portion leave Madagascar or are caught leaving Madagascar. Then all the ones that are not caught. Leads me to continue to believe there is a underground propagation of them in Madagascar. They can't be any more difficult to breed than any other from there, and if they eggs are managed in the ground, that's a pretty simple to manage high return on investment.

26 Ploughshare Tortoises
http://www.traffic.org/home/2011/7/...lice-seize-indonesia-bound-shipment-of-w.html

a single Ploughshare Tortoise
http://www.traffic.org/home/2010/6/14/rare-tortoises-and-drugs-found-in-abandoned-luggage.html

five Ploughshare Tortoises
http://www.traffic.org/home/2010/7/16/hundreds-of-malagasy-tortoises-seized-in-malaysia.html

54 Ploughshare Tortoises
http://www.traffic.org/home/2013/3/...ritically-endangered-ploughshare-tortois.html

10 Ploughshare Tortoises
http://www.traffic.org/home/2014/2/28/bangkok-a-hub-in-recent-tortoise-trafficking-incidents.html

five Plougshare Tortoises
http://www.traffic.org/home/2017/5/...ake-large-seizure-of-threatened-malagasy.html

113 total caught in 7 years. Then all the ones not caught.

 

[seanang168]

News | WSBTV
10:44 a.m. Tuesday, May 16, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian authorities said Monday that they have seized 330 exotic tortoises from Madagascar worth 1.2 million ringgit ($276,721), in the latest heist of illegal wildlife and animal parts being smuggled into the country.

Deputy customs director Abdull Wahid Sulong said that 325 Indian Star tortoises and five Ploughshare tortoises were packed into five boxes and labeled as stones. He said the live tortoises, usually kept as pets, arrived via Etihad Airways from Antanaviro Airport in Madagascar on Sunday.

Customs officials found the boxes at the Kuala Lumpur airport cargo warehouse on the same day based on a tip, Abdull Wahid said.

The import of exotic tortoises requires a special permit from Malaysia's Wildlife Department. No arrests were made and the case is still under investigation, Abdull Wahid said.

Two weeks ago, airport customs officials seized African pangolin scales worth $2.1 million at the airport cargo warehouse. Last month, they confiscated 18 rhino horns worth $3.1 million believed to have been flown in from Mozambique and declared as art objects.