Endangered star tortoises seized by Chennai Air Customs
The seizure of 197 star tortoises while they were being smuggled out to Thailand, by Chennai Customs has attracted international attention with the United Press International circulating it. The news was picked up by all major news agencies from Washington to Dubai. What makes these tortoises star news?
The star tortoises, named for the distinctive green and yellow star marking on their shells, are an extremely rare species and breed mostly in southern India mainly in the forests of Andhra Pradesh. Their demand as exotic pets and in some case as delicacy has been soaring in the international market. Each tortoise is said to have a market price of a thousand rupees.
When the baggage of a passenger was examined, these tortoises neatly packed in the bag did not exactly crawl to the Customs. The trade of the tortoise is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act but the huge profits are luring the poachers to the trade.
The star tortoises were handed over to the forest department and will make their slow journey into the forests, but before that these stars have become international celebrities.