150 Confiscated Radiated Tortoises Return From France to Home In Madagascar
8 months ago, 150 radiated tortoises were confiscated in Paris airport. They were found in a secret compartment of a crate containing sea cucumbers and were destined to Laos. Weighting about 0.7 ounces and measuring around 1.5 inches, these juveniles were way too fragile to handle a flight straight back to Madagascar. Given how critically endangered this species is, it was not the risk. Let’s not forget that 20 babies died during the flight to France already. The remaining babies were transported to The Tortoise Village in order to receive intensive care. 8 months later, they believe the tortoises are strong enough to go home. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they worth a lot of money. Bernard Devaux, director of the Tortoise Village said “They represent too much money. They are beautiful so they are hunted. Maybe it would be better if they were ugly.”
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Education
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Did You Know…
Madagascar suffers from a huge habitat destruction for the charcoal industry as well as for short-term unsustainable development. As a consequence, Astrochelys radiata, endemic to the island of Madagascar, is now critically endangered. Habitat destruction is not the only threat though, the species suffers from intensive hunting for the pet trade
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Photo from AFP Photo/Bertrand Guay
