Disheartening News Surrounds the Seychelles
Friday marked a distressing event for the island of Curieuse in the Seychelles. Twenty-five hatchling giant tortoises from Curieuse were discovered to have been stolen from the island. This is disheartening news indeed, as there were orginally 28 hatchlings that were being kept in pens near the houses of the rangers. Allen Cedras, an officer of the Seychelles National Park Authority, says that the demand for tortoise poaching stems from the fact that private keepers can sell the hatchlings for up to $400; however, this bold theft is surprising due to the large number of hatchlings stolen. This is the greatest number of animals that have ever been taken at one time. The hatchlings ranged in age from a few months to four years. Recently security measures have been heightened in order to protect the tortoises, but unfortunately this did not deter the thieves. Allen Cedras assures the public that they will not abandon the search for these valuable and magnificent animals.
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Crime & Punishment
Illegal turtle trafficing causes street commotion
Ecology
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Education
Gopher Tortoise workshops to educate local governments
Did You Know…
Despite there relatively small brain tortoises have a good memory and sense of direction. They will recognise their outdoor pen after hibernation and any changes that have been made in the interim.
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Photo from Seychelles News Agency.</small
