second chance at life - the straits times...nov 27, 2018 · the god vishnu lifespan ... habitat...

Suvarnabhumi Airport Chennai International Airport Indian Ocean International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport Tamil Nadu SRI LANKA Andhra Pradesh THAILAND MALAYSIA Karnataka INDIA TO THAILAND, AND THEN TO SINGAPORE INDIA TO MALAYSIA, AND THEN TO SINGAPORE INDIA TO SINGAPORE Common land transportation to take them to the airport • Container trucks • Jeeps • Cars COMMON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE ROUTES TO SINGAPORE Places in India where Indian star tortoises are found (wildlife reserves and forests) NOTE: They are also found in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. ABOUT THE INDIAN STAR TORTOISE (GEOCHELONE ELEGANS) Length Weight Adults rarely exceed 30cm 1.3kg to 2.2kg Many Hindus regard it as a reincarnation of the god Vishnu Lifespan 30 to 80 years Threats • Habitat loss • Collection and consumption as food by local people • Illegal capture for commercial food and pet trade One month’s jail Sentence meted out to a 50-year-old man for smuggling 22 Indian star tortoises into Singapore, taking into consideration also the unnecessary pain inﬂicted on the animals 55,000 Diet Grass, leaves, fruits and ﬂowers They also eat insects, carrion and dung. When food is scarce, they become inactive and can go without food for long periods Habitat Grasslands, shrublands and forests Distinctive star-like patterns These markings on its shell help the tortoise to blend into its surroundings FACTS AND FIGURES - A STAR’S FALLING FORTUNES In India… Elsewhere… 10,000 to 20,000 annually Population of this tortoise is declining in the wild. Currently listed as “vulnerable” on the “red list” of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Estimated number of tortoises poached and smuggled out of India to meet the demand for exotic pets in countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia 5,966 Number of Indian star tortoises seized by Thai authorities between 2008 and 2013 - the most of all illegally traded tortoise species 50 to 300 Indian rupees (S$1 to S$6) Typical amount paid per tortoise to primary collectors Up to S$900 Price per tortoise on the illicit international market Number of juvenile wild tortoises captured by rural forest-dwelling communities in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in 2014 Sources: ACRES, IUCN, HINDUSTANTIMES.COM PHOTO: ISTOCK STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS Second chance at life Fifty-one Indian star tortoises, which were smuggled into Singapore over the past eight years, were transported back to India yesterday. Here is a look at the highly sought-after creature which has an attractive hard shell. SINGAPORE

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Page 1: Second chance at life - The Straits Times...Nov 27, 2018 · the god Vishnu Lifespan ... Habitat Grasslands, shrublands and forests Distinctive star-like patterns These markings on

SuvarnabhumiAirport

Chennai International Airport

IndianOcean

International Airport

Kuala LumpurInternationalAirport

TamilNadu

SRI LANKA

AndhraPradesh

THAILAND

MALAYSIA

Karnataka

INDIA TO THAILAND,AND THEN TO SINGAPORE

INDIA TO MALAYSIA,AND THEN TOSINGAPORE

INDIA TOSINGAPORE

SuvarnabhumiSuvarnabhumiSuvarnabhumiAirportAirportAirport

Chennai International AirportChennai International Airport

IndianOcean

International AirportInternational AirportInternational AirportInternational Airport

Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurInternationalInternationalAirportAirportAirportAirport

TamilNadu

SRI LANKASRI LANKA

AndhraAndhraAndhraPradeshPradeshPradesh

THAILAND

MALAYSIAMALAYSIA

KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka

INDIA TO THAILAND,INDIA TO THAILAND,AND THEN TO SINGAPORE

INDIA TO MALAYSIA,INDIA TO MALAYSIA,AND THEN TOSINGAPORE

INDIA TOINDIA TOSINGAPORESINGAPORE

Common land transportationto take themto the airport• Container trucks• Jeeps• Cars

COMMON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE ROUTES TO SINGAPORE

Places in India where Indian star tortoises are found (wildlife reserves and forests)NOTE: They are also found in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

ABOUT THE INDIAN STAR TORTOISE(GEOCHELONE ELEGANS)LengthWeight

Adults rarely exceed 30cm1.3kg to 2.2kg

Many Hindus regard it as a reincarnation of the god Vishnu

Lifespan30 to 80 years

Threats• Habitat loss• Collection and consumption as food by local people• Illegal capturefor commercial food and pet trade

One month’s jailSentence meted out toa 50-year-old man for smuggling 22 Indian star tortoises into Singapore, taking into consideration also the unnecessary pain in�icted on the animals

55,000

Diet

Grass, leaves, fruits and �owersThey also eat insects, carrion and dung. When food is scarce, they become inactive and can go without food for long periods

Habitat

Grasslands, shrublands and forests

Distinctive star-like patternsThese markings on its shell help the tortoise to blend into its surroundings

FACTS AND FIGURES − A STAR’S FALLING FORTUNES

In India…

Elsewhere…

10,000 to 20,000 annually

Population of this tortoise is declining in the wild.

Currently listed as “vulnerable” on the “red list” of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Estimated number of tortoises poached and smuggled out of India to meet the demand for exotic pets in countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia

5,966Number of Indian star tortoises seized by Thai authorities between2008 and 2013 −the most of allillegally tradedtortoise species

50 to 300 Indian rupees (S$1 to S$6)Typical amount paid per tortoise to primary collectors

Up to S$900Price per tortoise on the illicit international market

Number of juvenile wild tortoises captured by rural forest-dwelling communities inthe states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in 2014

Sources: ACRES, IUCN, HINDUSTANTIMES.COM PHOTO: ISTOCK STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS

Second chance at lifeFifty-one Indian star tortoises, which were smuggled into Singapore over the past eight years, were transported back to India yesterday. Here is a look at the highly sought-after creature which has an attractive hard shell.

SINGAPORE

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