482 star tortoises seized
Thiruvananthapuram:
Four hundred and eighty two tortoises of rare species were recovered
from three men this Sunday by wildlife officials in Thiruvananthapuram
when they were being taken to New Delhi allegedly for smuggling purposes.
The seizure came following a tip-off about some people transporting Star
tortoises to Delhi. "An intelligence inspector got information that three
people are transporting star tortoises from Coimbatore to Delhi. Accordingly,
officers raided the airport and seized 482 star tortoises and three people
were arrested," Justin Stanley, the assistant wildlife warden, said. The
star tortoises, named for the distinctive green and yellow star marking
on their shells, are a rare species and bred mostly in southern parts
of India. They have value as exotic pets. There is also a soaring demand
for them as a food item in the international market. Among the 'star'
group of tortoises are the Radiated, Spider and Flat-shelled tortoises
of Madagascar and the Geometric and Tent tortoises of southernmost Africa.
All the starred beauties have since the early days of Herpeto culture
been much sought after among tortoise enthusiasts and commercial trade,
has led to the destruction of all these species becoming locally or regionally
threatened. The Indian Star Tortoise is listed in Appendix II of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
and Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, making trade
in the species illegal. In spite of this, these exotic animals are sold
as pets to far off places for a whopping 400 - 800 dollars for each tortoise.
The rare species are land-dwelling and feed on succulent material. Most
of them are found in semi-arid zones in the southern and northwestern
parts of India.
- Mar 27, 2006
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