Bus conductor thwarts trafficking of 218 endangered star tortoises in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A bus conductor thwarted a smuggling attempt of 218 endangered star tortoises when he observed movement in a passenger's bags.

The passenger tried boarding a private bus at Anand Rao Circle on Tuesday, but he abandoned the luggage and fled the scene when the conductor questioned him about the movement in the bags.

People for Animals (PfA) wildlife rescuer Mohan A was alerted to the smuggling attempt and collected the tortoises.

"We suspect the smuggler intended to transport them to Chennai, a gateway for illegal trade to Asian countries," said Mohan.

The Indian star tortoise is traded in “extremely high volumes” due to international demand, a conservation report stated.

Some estimates put a star tortoise at Rs 10,000 in the international market, which means the reptiles in the bags had a value around Rs 21 lakh.

The largest among the tortoises was 864 grams, about 4 to 5 years old, while the smallest was about a week old, weighing only 23 grams. 

One tortoise was found dead, but the other 217 are “crawling around having a jolly good time”, said Colonel Navaz Shariff, Chief Wildlife Veterinarian at PfA. They will be released in batches at an undisclosed location determined by the Karnataka Forest Department.

Shariff examined the health of each tortoise. They can be released after gaining at least 80 grams in body weight.

The Indian star tortoise population is on the decline because of high levels of smuggling, habitat loss and degradation.

Studies have shown thousands are illegally taken from the wild every year. A group of researchers embedded with rural communities in Karnataka have seen poachers take between 100 and 150 tortoises a week.

“While not officially classified as endangered, excessive smuggling during hatching seasons has led to a decline in the wild population,” said Shariff. “Urgent action is imperative to prevent the extinction of this species in the wild.”