Losing the race: Illegal trade devastating Madagascar's radiated tortoise
Friday, April 9, 2010 - 15:42
in Biology & Nature
Armed bands of poachers are illegally collecting Madagascar's radiated tortoise ( Astrochelys radiata ) by the truckload for the lucrative pet and meat trades, according to a report from the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). As a result of this rampant overexploitation the once-common species could be driven into extinction in the next two decades.