Sean Augustin New Straits Times 27 Dec 11;
Group urges authorities to monitor offenders closely
MORE than 600 Indian Star Tortoises were sent home to India last week after the smuggled reptiles were rescued by the authorities a few months ago.
A total of 599 tortoises, stuffed into two luggage bags, were rescued in August after authorities noticed that no one claimed the bags at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
A month later, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) confiscated another 100 tortoises in Malacca, and the owner was given a "very stern warning".
All the tortoises were either infants or juveniles.
Perhilitan consultant Burhanuddin Mohd Nor said the repatriation of the tortoises last Thursday was the first this year.
Despite the fact that the species cannot be imported into Malaysia and it is illegal to own one as a pet, the Indian Star Tortoises can be found in pet shops.
Anyone found to be in possession of the species can be fined up to a maximum of RM100,000 per animal or imprisoned up to seven years, under the International Trade of Endangered Species Act 2008.
"We would like to advise those keeping the tortoises as pets to come forward and surrender them to us," Burhanuddin said.
"We also hope that the public will inform us of pet shops that sell the species."
The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic) said the Malaysian government should monitor offenders closely as the trade seemed to be more visible now, although underground.
Its senior programme officer, Kanitha Krishnasamy, said the rescue of the 699 reptiles showed that the trade was very active and a major threat to the tortoises, especially in Southeast Asia.
It is important that offenders are prosecuted and made to bear the cost of repatriating the animals as the process is not cheap."
She added that Traffic appreciated that the Malaysian government worked with the Indian government to send the tortoises home, where they belonged and would be protected.
The Indian Star Tortoise, or geochelone elegans, is found in scrub forests in India and Sri Lanka.
The species is said to be quite popular in the exotic pet trade, although India has banned its export.
The reptile was only recently added to the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
