Rare tortoises discovered in luggage (P.Tansom/TRAFFIC)
A man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok after authorities discovered he was attempting to claim a piece of luggage full of extremely rare tortoises.
Traffic.org, a self-described wildlife trade monitoring network, reports that the man was trying to pick up 54 ploughshare tortoises. "The wild population of Ploughshare Tortoises, considered among the rarest species in the world, is estimated to be as few as 400 individuals, and is declining fast," according to the site. As Popular Science points out, the man was attempting to smuggle more than 10 percent of the entire species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has classified the ploughshares tortoise as critically endangered.
The piece of luggage had been registered to a woman who was arrested as well. In addition to the 54 ploughshare tortoises, 21 radiated tortoises, also endangered, were being smuggled. Authorities believe the tortoises were going to be sold as pets.
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