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+--- Thread: 10,000 smuggled tortoises rescued (/showthread.php?tid=3566)
10,000 smuggled tortoises rescued - Catherine - 04-26-2018
Yes I meant to type in 10,000 smuggled tortoises. Worse they were all in a house together living under terrible conditions.
A number were found dead and more died after the rescue because they were in such bad condition.
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/madagascar-officials-discover-10000-stolen-tortoises-crawling-in-home-after-reports-of-rancid-stench/news-story/20f289fb21642d6e9c4d6b676c86a7b2&ct=ga&cd=CAEYCSoUMTMxODkwNTE3MjQ4NzczODY2NTEyGjgxYzE0M2Y3M2FkNzZmMjg6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNGvOv96N3LT3gPlM1bqX0hqxl2hGw
This is a shocking abuse of animals. The extreme numbers put the whole species at risk. Collecting animals in the wild to sell on the black market is contributing to the decline of a number of species. If they had not been rescued many would have died as pets because people do not know how to care for them. Endangered species have enough trouble surviving because of climate change and habitat loss. Having to deal with poaching and being sold on the black market may prove to be too much for some of the world's turtles.
I can't imagine how local rescues are dealing with such a massive number of rescued turtles.