Radiateds of Madagascar

[Magdrive]

Its a real shame what the people of Madagascar are doing to the radiated tortoise population. I would love to have a pair to breed and build there population. They are a lot better off with the tortoise lover than to be eaten like chicken. The stupid people of Madagascar could breed this guys and sell to the pet trade and make money that way other than catching out of the wild and selling for food. Now if anyone wants one for a pet, they have to get a permit. Kinda makes me mad.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

The stupid people of Madagascar .

Do not cast stones blindly until having walked in those shoes…

 

[Turtlepete]

Madagascar is another example of a dying ecosystem which the residing government is doing very little to protect yet restricts any possibility of their native fauna being established ex-situ via exportation…..
Calling the people of Madagascar "stupid" however, is rather ignorant. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world….When you are starving, and your family is starving, do you think they are going to not eat a tortoise just because it's pretty? Or endangered? Almost all native people that are sympatric with endangered species are forced to eat them to survive…..Better to blame the rich in Asia, who are in no danger of starvation yet pay thousands of dollars for their ideology that everything in the world, from tiger bones to tortoise livers, cures cancer.

Regardless, radiata is very well established in captivity. I believe it is Mauritius (or some other island) where there is a breeding program with literally hundreds, maybe thousands of radiata. There is little need for exportation of radiata from Madagascar, as far as I see. Some other species are another story….

 

[HermanniChris]

@Turtlepete the other island they've been introduced to is Reunion.

It's true, the Malagasy natives who are in a position we could never imagine being subjected to are sadly forced to eat them. Save your family and eat a tortoise or starve and die. Even though there are still some 6 million there, it's an enormous drop from the numbers once encountered there. The poor state Madagascar is in causes the laws to be ignored and broken regularly.

The poor simply have no choice.

 

[christinaland128]

It's just sad overall.

 

[Magdrive]

Madagascar is another example of a dying ecosystem which the residing government is doing very little to protect yet restricts any possibility of their native fauna being established ex-situ via exportation…..
Calling the people of Madagascar "stupid" however, is rather ignorant. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world….When you are starving, and your family is starving, do you think they are going to not eat a tortoise just because it's pretty? Or endangered? Almost all native people that are sympatric with endangered species are forced to eat them to survive…..Better to blame the rich in Asia, who are in no danger of starvation yet pay thousands of dollars for their ideology that everything in the world, from tiger bones to tortoise livers, cures cancer.

Regardless, radiata is very well established in captivity. I believe it is Mauritius (or some other island) where there is a breeding program with literally hundreds, maybe thousands of radiata. There is little need for exportation of radiata from Madagascar, as far as I see. Some other species are another story….

They are stupid...have a paradise and rather destroy it. They can eat chicken. It don't take years to grow them. Americans eat it everyday.

 

[Turtlepete]

They are stupid...have a paradise and rather destroy it. They can eat chicken. It don't take years to grow them. Americans eat it everyday.

Sorry, what? Explain to me what every human civilization has done. Destroyed a paradise. Every modern city is the product of an ecosystem's destruction. Every one of us living our cushy modernized lives directly contribute to environmental crisis around the world. If you think are better then them, then you need a serious reality check. The difference between us and them, is we have destroyed ecosystems in the name of iPhones and Walmarts, in the pursuit of modernization. They destroy an ecosystem to have something to feed their starving children.
Ignorance isn't that bliss. Educate yourself.

 

[Magdrive]

Sorry, what? Explain to me what every human civilization has done. Destroyed a paradise. Every modern city is the product of an ecosystem's destruction. Every one of us living our cushy modernized lives directly contribute to environmental crisis around the world. If you think are better then them, then you need a serious reality check. The difference between us and them, is we have destroyed ecosystems in the name of iPhones and Walmarts, in the pursuit of modernization. They destroy an ecosystem to have something to feed their starving children.
Ignorance isn't that bliss. Educate yourself.

I'll send them a crate of chickens for meat and eggs. Don't call me ignorant...

 

[Magdrive]

Just look at the piles of shells...

 

[mitchellr]

People still import illegal radiateds because the ones in captivity normally arent high yellows. The WC high yellow babies fetch up to 10000 usd here.

And btw we dont eat radiated tortoises so dont blame the "rich asian". It sounds racist.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

It sounds racist.

I think that was intended and ultimately is what I found so offensive…along with other, what I consider, ignorant stereotype statements.

 

[Turtlepete]

I didn't mean to offend anyone; however, the reality is that many areas throughout Asia are major hubs for the illegal wildlife trade. They sell animals and animal parts, such as tiger bones, on the premise that they can cure cancer (along with many Cuora species). Angonoka tortoises are deemed a "good luck charm". I don't see what is offensive about recognizing a problem...

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I didn't mean to offend anyone; ...

We're good. I didn't go back and reread the posts. You and I actually are on the same page as far as I can tell. We both took offense at the statements I was thinking of.

 

[mitchellr]

It's not asian people, it's restricted to chinese people who believe in folklore that rhino's tusk, tiger bone, Cuora's body part, manta's gills are beneficial for health when in fact no medicinal benefits are found in them.

Ynip are considered bringing luck? Lol
You definitely are lucky if you have 10'000 usd to buy a baby tortoise.
40cm Ynips are sold for more less 40'000usd now.

 

[Magdrive]

This post started out all about the poor Radiated Tortoise. Now is turned in to a race thing. Someone make it stoppppp.

 

[Turtlepete]

This post started out all about the poor Radiated Tortoise. Now is turned in to a race thing. Someone make it stoppppp.

I'm curious as to what you are hoping to achieve with these posts….