Thailand seizes endangered Madagascar tortoises

BANGKOK, October 11, 2010 (AFP) - Thai customs authorities said Monday they had seized more than 200 live endangered tortoises being smuggled into the country from Madagascar.

A 39-year-old Malagasy man was arrested Sunday and charged after officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport found 217 radiated tortoises and a ploughshare tortoise in his luggage, officials said.

The man, named as Basoiry Damaladine, confessed that he was paid about 35,000 baht (1,200 dollars) to bring the animals into Thailand.

The ploughshare and radiated tortoises are classified as critically endangered under the UN's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

The ploughshare, or angonoka, is one of the rarest tortoises in the world, with only about 200 adults left in the wild, according to conservationists.

"Ploughshare tortoises in particular are extremely vulnerable as illegal trade has reduced their numbers to just a few hundred," said Chris Shepherd of wildlife trade watchdog Traffic, which assisted authorities in the seizure.

Last month Thai customs authorities seized 1,140 endangered star tortoises being smuggled from Bangladesh.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-10-11

I mean how does one smuggle 217 live animals of that size - average 5-7" across - they don't exactly fit a suitcase! But also he takes the risk for a purported 35,000 Baht? What is more astounding is the 1,000 plus tortoises which also don't exactly fit the average suitcase! The story and the motivation seems a bit stranger but at least the trafficked contraband could not run away...

Edited October 11, 201015 yr by asiawatcher

I mean how does one smuggle 217 live animals of that size - average 5-7" across - they don't exactly fit a suitcase! But also he takes the risk for a purported 35,000 Baht? What is more astounding is the 1,000 plus tortoises which also don't exactly fit the average suitcase! The story and the motivation seems a bit stranger but at least the trafficked contraband could not run away...

A 39-year-old Malagasy man was arrested Sunday and charged after officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport found 217 radiated tortoises and a ploughshare tortoise in his luggage, officials said.

How could this guy travel all the way to the airport? Very sad because so many tortoises are already extinct. I'm wondering where this guy wanted to deliver them?

People are strange...................

The most dangerous animal on this planet are humans, destroying all around us. :jap:

Any idea of what was the destination for the tortoises? I mean, pets, food, "medicine", skin and shells for fashion and jewelry?

The buyers are the true fiends in the animal trade, they shouldn't just stop at catching a poor mule at the airport, pat themselves in the back and then return to the job. Not that I know for a fact that's all what's done, but I've heard the same story about someone getting caught smuggling animals in or out of Thailand at the airport, but I've never heard the story of the buyers being busted.

they were going straight to chatuchak market where you can buy any

threatened wildlife creature with exception of 30 ft whale !

if you have right amount of cash with you and willing to part with it

it's in a box or bag before you know it

cliokchi