September
11, 2018
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Hermann turtle as
"near threatened" on its Red List of species at risk
A turtle
conservation park on the French island of Corsica is asking the public for help
after 56 rare Hermann's tortoises, considered a nearly threatened species, were
stolen from the site.
The A
Cupulatta park in Vero, about
30 kilometres (20 miles) northeast of Ajaccio, issued its appeal on Facebook on
Monday after discovering the missing adult tortoises, recognisable by their
distinctive black-and-yellow shells.
"These
tortoises cannot be legally sold so can only be destined for trafficking,"
the park wrote.
It also
warned that wild turtle populations could be at risk if the Hermann's were stolen
by anti-zoo activists who might be planning to release the tortoises.
"They
could contaminate wild populations with
fatal germs, since they've been kept in captivity for a long time and have been
exposed to animals and people which wild turtles aren't
used to seeing," the park said.
"Share
this message: the turtles may still be in Corsica," it added.
Police
have opened an inquiry, according to the local prosecutor Eric Bouillard.
A
Cupulatta bills itself as the only site in Europe dedicated to the breeding and
protection of turtles from around the world, housing 170 species and more than
3,000 animals.
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