Indian Star Tortoise Geochelone elegans

Vijay D. Anand with an adult tortoise.

The Indian Star Tortoise is a characteristic species of the Indian sub-continent. It is distinctive and attractive, growing up to around 30cm across the carapace, but it faces a number of threats: it is traded for food, used in traditional medicine (primarily in Asia) and kept as a pet in Asia and North America. In India, it is illegal either to possess or trade the Indian Star Tortoise and the species is also legally protected in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a species that, while not currently endangered, is at a risk of becoming extinct. Despite this, the Indian Star Tortoise is widely traded.

A study by A Rocha India's Vijay D. Anand and Surendra Varma in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India investigated the complex and secretive way in which this species is taken from the wild and illegally traded. The results reveal a global network whose end result is cruelty to animals and the pushing of a species towards extinction.

Research involved several aspects. Visits were made to enforcement agencies to collect information about past tortoise seizures, details of offenders and prosecutions, and also the status of the seized animals. Rehabilitation centres were also contacted to gather information on Star Tortoises in captivity. Field investigations looked at habitats and the source of the trade. Undercover enquiries were made at markets, pet shops and business establishments to assess their involvement. Web page and literature surveys were carried out to determine the global extent of trade in Indian Star Tortoises. The results allowed mapping of the most common routes through which these tortoises are taken and exported. In the Andhra Pradesh region they are mostly collected by nomadic local forest hunters and then sold through nearby villagers to dealers in major cities such as Bangalore. They are smuggled abroad, often through cruel methods in which most suffer and many die.

Juvenile tortoises seized from smugglers.

Although most tortoises are destined for the Asian market, their high value in the United States (where they can fetch up to $1,000) means that attempts are made to smuggle them there. Although the more effective enforcement of laws in the United States appears to be restricting illegal imports, some smuggling clearly continues. The treatment of tortoises rescued from would-be smugglers seems often to be poorly managed and death rates up to 60% have been reported at one rehabilitation centre.

This study lays the foundations for reducing trade in the Indian Star Tortoise. The identification of collection sites, transit points, smuggling methods and final destinations is an aid to enforcement agencies.