Galápagos: 185 baby tortoises wrapped in plastic found in a suitcase
Environment — di Martina Girola
Traffickers attempted to smuggle 185 giant tortoise hatchlings out of the Galápagos, but authorities managed to stop them.
Galápagos: 185 baby tortoises wrapped in plastic found in a suitcase
Traffickers attempted to smuggle 185 giant tortoise hatchlings out of the Galápagos, but authorities managed to stop them.
It had begun as a routine check, but authorities at Seymour Airport, on the island of Baltra in the Galápagos, found something unexpected while inspecting an ordinary red suitcase: hidden inside were 185 giant tortoise hatchlings wrapped in plastic and packed tightly against one another to restrict their movements.
How the 185 tortoise hatchlings are doing
After an X-ray scan flagged the anomaly, airport authorities immediately seized the suitcase, which was travelling unaccompanied to the city of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, and whose contents had been declared as simple souvenirs.
Ten of the hatchlings were already dead, and a further five died in the following days, most likely from the stress of being separated from their natural habitat and forced to travel in these conditions.
#URGENTE | Durante una inspección rutinaria entre @aerogalapagos y @parquegalapagos en el aeropuerto de #Baltra, se detectaron 185 tortugas neonatos en una maleta que se trasladaba al Ecuador continental. Fiscalía y #UPMA están tomando procedimiento. Noticia en desarrollo.
It is not yet known with certainty where the tortoises came from. Washington Tapia, director of the NGO Galapagos conservancy, believes they may have been taken from their nests and that they are at most between one and six months old. "These hatchlings were found in terrible conditions and appear to be severely underweight. We are analysing the size and weight of each one to better understand the state of health they are in," he stated.
The 170 survivors have been taken to the Giant tortoise breeding and rearing center on the island of Santa Cruz, which is run by the Galapagos national park directorate (Gnpd) and Galapagos conservancy, where they will be cared for by vets.
Maximum sentence sought for those responsible
For the time being, police officer Nixon Alejandro has been arrested for the attempted smuggling of the animals and charged with crimes against nature, which under the country's laws carry sentences of between one and three years' imprisonment. Authorities are still investigating possible accomplices.
"We don't think twice when we come across people like this, who cause such harm to society, the environment, health and the ecosystem. We will seek the maximum sentence," declared Marcelo Mata Guerrero, Ecuador's environment minister. The hope now is that his approach will be understood and followed around the world, as it demonstrates a profound understanding of the importance of protecting nature and ecosystems. Especially in a year like this.