Terrible, tortoise smuggling

[theelectraco]

This was already posted a few days ago. And they were to be sold for the pet trade, I highly doubt they were for food.

Derp, same post

 

[Instinct]

I have some select words for this man, none of them forum appropriate though.

Poor babies, I hope they are all okay.

 

[Yvonne G]

This was already posted a few days ago. And they were to be sold for the pet trade, I highly doubt they were for food.

Derp, same post

I'll let you off the hook - I merged the two threads into one!

 

[theelectraco]

This was already posted a few days ago. And they were to be sold for the pet trade, I highly doubt they were for food.

Derp, same post

I'll let you off the hook - I merged the two threads into one!

I was like "hmm I don't remember this being a comment on one" lol

 

[redbeef]

Ugh: Ploughshare losses

This is not good news:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2013/05/08/poachers-tortoise/

"On Friday, March 15, authorities in Thailand intercepted two wildlife smugglers trying to carry hundreds of endangered tortoises through Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Among the animals recovered were 54 critically endangered ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) from Madagascar. The entire wild population for this species is estimated at just 400 to 600 tortoises, meaning this seizure represented something in the neighborhood of 10 percent of the entire species."

 

[wellington]

RE: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

That's too bad. Sad there are so few and these idiots think they can just help themselves. Also sad that there is such a market of people that will buy them.

 

[mctlong]

RE: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

And half of them died.

It said 54 were ploughshares. I wonder what other species were represented in this smuggle and I wonder why they weren't mentioned in the article.

 

[TommyZ]

Re: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

Very sad...being a novice to "torting" i had no idea what a variety of breeds there are and many are endangered. I just googled the ploughshare tort, what a handsome breed! Is this a breed that people keep? Are they bred in captivity?...not that i want one, just curious..

Sent from my SCH-I535 using TortForum mobile app

 

[Yellow Turtle]

RE: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

I remember there is a thread already discussing this article here. Anyway that's horrible although I don't believe the 400 - 600 things.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

RE: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

Humans: the most dangerous predators on Earth.

 

[sibi]

Kudos for the airport agent who found them! I hope the torts make it back to their habitat safely.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

So sad. It's crazy what goes on in this world. We never know what's next.

 

[Spn785]

RE: Ugh: Ploughshare losses

Very sad...being a novice to "torting" i had no idea what a variety of breeds there are and many are endangered. I just googled the ploughshare tort, what a handsome breed! Is this a breed that people keep? Are they bred in captivity?...not that i want one, just curious..

Sent from my SCH-I535 using TortForum mobile app

Just an FYI it is species, not breeds. Yes, there are some people who have ploughshare tortoises here in the US, if I'm not mistaken some members of this forum do.

It is really sad to hear that half of them died. Maybe some of them might be sent to conservations to start breeding groups to help revitalize the wild populations.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

CowboyKen re-brought this to light in another thread. Maybe should have been merged?

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/post-663587.html#pid663587

my take on this issue.

Will

 

[tunafish89]

Hopefully they will be return to Madagascar, and hopefully they will be able to survive in Madagascar while their habitats are being destroyed constantly...
Stopping the smuggling activities doesn't really stop the tortoise from being extinct in the wild, the prohibition of international trading will further increase the price of these tortoises and make more greedy people try to capture and smuggle them.
The habitat degradation and the local hunting them as food also speed up the extinction process of these species.
I know that there are some breeding center in Madagascar (or just one?), but I also heard about the news that somebody actually broke into the breeding center and stole their adult tortoise..
If they really want to save these species from extinction, why don't they send some breeding pair to more capable countries and open up some breeding center right there?

Out of topic:
Some people actually still believed that "they are headed for the frying pan" How ignorant
As far as I know, the only place that the radiated tortoise will "headed for the frying pan" is Madagascar, which is their country of origin.
Stop believing the bullsh** that people from some country are actually going to crush their shell and suck out their liver, that's pure bullsh**
It doesn't make you more noble by pointing your finger at other and think that you're the only civilized one while others are all barbarian.

 

[haidao88]

This is the exact reason why tortoise lovers and caretakers like us can't find tortoises as easy because of greedy people like them. Instead of importing a few and repopulating through breeding CB, we diminish their numbers by pulling way to much out at once... Sad to know there are only couple hundred wild ploughs left only


My tortoise Peach hates apples

 

[adamlikesbananas]

This is sick. People like this need to be tortured.... -_-