A group of smugglers trying to make away with 1012 exotic turtles and tortoises, valued at about Rs 4 crore in the international market were caught right on time by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials last week in Bangalore. They were trying to make their way across the state border over to Chennai and […]
Passer bye Saves an Endangered Star Shelled Tortoise
P. Girish, a resident of Malkajgiri in Hyderbad, noticed an unusual animal on the roadside grass while on his way home. It was a star shelled tortoise. Girish brought the animal home and kept it safe for two days before handing it over to zoo officials on Sunday.
Endangered Indian Animals Flooding Pet Market of Thailand
This time it is poaching of a different kind and a threat of a different magnitude. Live, endangered Indian animals like turtles, tortoises, gharials and even bear and leopard cubs, are being trafficked by air, stuffed in suitcases, to Bangkok, to be sold as pet animals. These unfortunate animals are traded at chatuchak market area in Bangkok and the Suvarnabhumi air port is being used as transit point for this illegal activity.
Turtles become the Most Endangered Vertebrates of the World
Out of all the endangered groups of vertebrates facing extinction the tortoise and fresh water turtle species are the most threatened. This was found by IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group in a study that revealed more than half of the total population under threat of extinction.