78 rare tortoises that disappeared from their cages at a Thai breeding center on May 23 have been returned.
The tortoises, worth an estimated $85,000 or three million baht, simply vanished from their cages, according to the Bang Phra Water – Bird Breeding Center in Chon Buri. The tortoises stolen are endangered species, including radiated tortoises and angonoka tortoises. Another name for the angonoka is the ploughshare tortoise.
Earlier in the month, the deputy director-general of Thailand’s National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, or DNP, sent a statement regarding the tortoises.
“The stolen tortoises are all rare species. The angonoka tortoises are among the rarest in the world, included in the CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species] list with only 400 left in the wild. Because of their beautiful shell and high demand on the market, the price for an adult is as high as between Bt1 million and Bt2 million, while smaller ones fetch around Bt200,000. Meanwhile, radiated tortoises are also an endangered species and very popular in the pet market, fetching prices of Bt3,000 to Bt10,000.”
An article by The Nation, an independent newspaper in Thailand said the chief of the breeding center was removed, and an investigation was opened in order to see if any of the breeding center’s staff were involved in the theft or accused of being negligent in the past.
This is not the first time that tortoises have been stolen from the breeding center, though. There was another incident six years ago as well. The tortoises recovered were the same ones seized in other illegal markets three years ago, which has led investigators to believe that a member of the breeding center’s staff may be responsible for putting them up for sale on the black market.
There is an international treaty banning the sale of these two endangered species on the black market.
