145 star tortoises rescued from illegal traders,now at Sanjay Gandhi park

According to Dr Vinaya Jangale,SGNP verterinarian,while star back tortise is only in the ‘least concern’ list of the IUCN’s endangered species red list,concern for the amphibian is on the increase due to a steep rise in illegal trade.

“These are land-dwelling tortoises and require very little maintainenece. Besides,the demand for them has been growing steadily with the popularity of Feng Shui. Many families in India and foreign countries keep them as pets because they are believed to bring prosperity. As a result,illegal trade and transport of these species is rising alarmingly,” she said.

One star tortoise is estimated to fetch as much as US$500 in the illegal market,a source said. In India,the amphibians are found in abundance in Tamil Nadu’s Point Calimere sanctuary.

The tortoises,most of them juvenile,weighed a total of 14 kg,Jangale said. She also added that they were in good health but stressed out. “Being dumped in a sack,maybe for a day,the animals seem to be traumatised. But thankfully,they were rescued in time and as a result have not contracted any disease.” The tortoises are currently under observation and on a diet of leafy vegetables.

“We have offered them to the Pune and the Aurangabad zoos,but only after the tortoises are fully recovered. We will keep the animals under quarantine for a month and later decide if they are fit to travel,” added Jangale.