Ploughshare Tortoises Find Their Way Home

Channelon-Line TV/Jersey News. 10/29/10
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is celebrating the news that three of four ploughshare tortoises, stolen from its base in Madagascar, have been returned to the Trust.
The four tortoises were stolen in May last year, as they were about to be  released into their native habitat in the north-west of Madagascar. Each animal was at least 15 years old and part of Durrell's long term captive
breeding programme for the species.
One of the animals was retreived in a shipment of smuggled tortoises about to leave Anatnanarivo airport, and another was retreived after it appeared on a Malaysian website, on sale for $15,000.
The third and most recent one was recovered following the seizure of an illegal shipment of animals by the Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur  this summer.
In July, two women were caught travelling with suitcases containing 400 radiated tortoises, 11 spider tortoises and four ploughshare tortoises.
The three tortoises will now all rejoin Durrell's captive breeding programme, which has been placed under strict police protection.
Richard Lewis, Director of Durrell's Madagascar Programme said: "This is a really important event. Not only have we been able to recover this animal,  it is a powerful signal from the Malaysian Government that they will not  stand for the illegal shipment of threatened species through their  borders. Most of the illegal trade in wildlife from Madagascar is routed through South East Asian countries and we hope that this is a precedent
that can be followed by other countries such as Thailand and Indonesia to  show that there is no future to illegally stripping Madagascar of its natural heritage for profit."
The investigation into the wherebouts of the fourth missing tortoise continues however, and the hope is that it might be part of batch seized at Bangkok Airport on 11th October, including one medium sized ploughshare. Durrell are currently working with TRAFFIC and the Thai authorities to confirm whether this is the last of the four.
From: HerpDigest Volume # 10 Issue # 46 10/30/10 (A Not-for-Profit Publication)