An Ecuadorian policeman has been arrested after airport officials in the Galapagos Islands discovered 185 baby giant tortoises stuffed in a suitcase to be trafficked, prosecutors said on Monday. 
 
The reptiles, no more than three months old, were found in luggage destined for Guayaquil in mainland Ecuador during a routine inspection on Baltra island on Sunday, authorities said. 
 
The juvenile critters had been wrapped in plastic, and ten of them had died by the time the suitcase was opened. 
 
Another five have died since, possibly due to stress, the environment ministry reported Monday. 
 
The policeman will be charged with crimes against wildlife and risks a three-year prison sentence, the prosecutor's office in Ecuador tweeted. 
 
The Galapagos Islands, some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, are a protected wildlife area and home to unique species of flora and fauna. 
 
The Galapagos are where Charles Darwin's observation of birds and tortoises on different islands gave rise to his theory of natural selection. 
 
The reptiles -- the largest living tortoises in the world -- are the volcanic islands' star attraction, but are listed as endangered. 
 
The environment ministry said the surviving tortoises were taken to a breeding center on the neighboring Santa Cruz island. 
 
"The veterinary evaluation found that they are not in good health," it added. 
 
According to the Galapagos Conservation Trust, the giant tortoise arrived in Galapagos from mainland South America some two to three million years ago, diversifying into 14 species on different islands. 
 
After the death of Lonesome George, the last Pinta island tortoise in 2012, 12 species are thought to remain today, scattered over 10 islands, the trust website says. 
 
About 1.5- to 1.8 meters long, the slow-breeding creatures can live to over 100 years. 
 
On Twitter, Environment Minister Marcelo Mata on Sunday blasted "these crimes against Ecuadorans' wild fauna and natural heritage."

An Ecuadorian policeman has been arrested after airport officials in the Galapagos Islands discovered 185 baby giant tortoises stuffed in a suitcase to be trafficked, prosecutors said on Monday.

An Ecuadorian policeman has been arrested after airport officials in the Galapagos Islands discovered 185 baby giant tortoises stuffed in a suitcase to be trafficked, prosecutors said on Monday. The reptiles, no more than three months old, were found in luggage destined for Guayaquil in mainland Ecuador during a routine inspection on Baltra island on Sunday, authorities said. The juvenile critters had been wrapped in plastic, and ten of them had died by the time the suitcase was opened. Another five have died since, possibly due to stress, the environment ministry reported Monday. The policeman will be charged with crimes against wildlife and risks a three-year prison sentence, the prosecutor's office in Ecuador tweeted. The Galapagos Islands, some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, are a protected wildlife area and home to unique species of flora and fauna. The Galapagos are where Charles Darwin's observation of birds and tortoises on different islands gave rise to his theory of natural selection. The reptiles -- the largest living tortoises in the world -- are the volcanic islands' star attraction, but are listed as endangered. The environment ministry said the surviving tortoises were taken to a breeding center on the neighboring Santa Cruz island. "The veterinary evaluation found that they are not in good health," it added. According to the Galapagos Conservation Trust, the giant tortoise arrived in Galapagos from mainland South America some two to three million years ago, diversifying into 14 species on different islands. After the death of Lonesome George, the last Pinta island tortoise in 2012, 12 species are thought to remain today, scattered over 10 islands, the trust website says. About 1.5- to 1.8 meters long, the slow-breeding creatures can live to over 100 years. On Twitter, Environment Minister Marcelo Mata on Sunday blasted "these crimes against Ecuadorans' wild fauna and natural heritage."

Ecuador policeman arrested for trying to traffic 185 tortoises in suitcase

Malaysian authorities have made a record seizure of about 30 tonnes of pangolins and their scales worth some $2 million in raids on major processing facilities, police and environmentalists said Tuesday.

The haul included about 1,800 boxes full of frozen pangolins stuffed inside three refrigerated containers, 572 more frozen pangolins in six freezers, 61 live pangolins in cages, and 361 kilogrammes (795 pounds) of pangolin scales, according to police.

The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rampant poaching and smuggling of pangolins, the world's most heavily trafficked mammal.&nbsp;

The critically endangered creatures, also known as scaly anteaters, have long been targeted as their body parts are highly valued in traditional medicine in countries including China and Vietnam while their meat is considered a delicacy.

Following a tip-off, wildlife officials in Sabah state raided a factory and a warehouse on Thursday, according to a statement from local police chief Omar Mammah.

Police arrested a 35-year-old man suspected to have been in charge of the factory as part of an illegal syndicate.&nbsp;

The operation is believed to have been running for the past seven years, and police believe the pangolins were bought from poachers to be distributed locally.

Traffic, a Malaysia-based group that monitors wildlife smuggling around the region, said it was the "biggest such bust Malaysia has seen to date".

"No threatened species can withstand industrial levels of extraction such as this," Kanitha Krishnasamy, the group's Southeast Asia director, told AFP.

The seizures also shone a light on Sabah's major role in animal trafficking — the state on Borneo island has been implicated in smuggling cases involving over 40 tonnes of pangolins since August 2017, according to Traffic.&nbsp;

Malaysia regularly foils attempts to smuggle pangolins and their parts out of the country but usually on a far smaller scale.

Malaysian authorities have made a record seizure of about 30 tonnes of pangolins and their scales worth some $2 million in raids on major processing facilities, police and environmentalists said Tuesday.

Malaysian authorities have made a record seizure of about 30 tonnes of pangolins and their scales worth some $2 million in raids on major processing facilities, police and environmentalists said Tuesday. The haul included about 1,800 boxes full of frozen pangolins stuffed inside three refrigerated containers, 572 more frozen pangolins in six freezers, 61 live pangolins in cages, and 361 kilogrammes (795 pounds) of pangolin scales, according to police. The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rampant poaching and smuggling of pangolins, the world's most heavily trafficked mammal. The critically endangered creatures, also known as scaly anteaters, have long been targeted as their body parts are highly valued in traditional medicine in countries including China and Vietnam while their meat is considered a delicacy. Following a tip-off, wildlife officials in Sabah state raided a factory and a warehouse on Thursday, according to a statement from local police chief Omar Mammah. Police arrested a 35-year-old man suspected to have been in charge of the factory as part of an illegal syndicate. The operation is believed to have been running for the past seven years, and police believe the pangolins were bought from poachers to be distributed locally. Traffic, a Malaysia-based group that monitors wildlife smuggling around the region, said it was the "biggest such bust Malaysia has seen to date". "No threatened species can withstand industrial levels of extraction such as this," Kanitha Krishnasamy, the group's Southeast Asia director, told AFP. The seizures also shone a light on Sabah's major role in animal trafficking — the state on Borneo island has been implicated in smuggling cases involving over 40 tonnes of pangolins since August 2017, according to Traffic. Malaysia regularly foils attempts to smuggle pangolins and their parts out of the country but usually on a far smaller scale.

Malaysia makes record of 30-tonne pangolin seizure

Even after implementing international laws and regulations, animal trafficking is continuously increasing. Illegal trade of wild animals is a very lucrative business. Tiger, elephant, and rhino, leopard, lizard, marine turtles, and pangolins, as well as, many species of snakes are poached for animal parts, such as ivory, horn, teeth, venom, skin, scales and bone.

Wildlife trafficking is popular in regions like South Africa, Europe, China, Japan. Smuggling is not limited to living animals but even carcass are very important in many ways, such as skins tissues, bones or meat. It is sold at considerably high prices.

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The rhino horn is used to create valuable carvings and, also, traditional medicines in China (Others)
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South Africa has the largest population of rhinos in the world, also, stands at number one when it comes to the hunting and killing of rhinos. Till 2014, the recorded number of rhinos poached in South Africa increased continuously.

In 2010, it was 333 and in 2014 it raised to 1215. This immense rate advocates utmost importance to conserve these extremely endangered species. The rhino horns are exported mostly to China and Vietnam. It is used to create valuable carvings and is also used in traditional medicines.&nbsp;

Areas like Kruger National Park (South Africa) and parts of Mozambique experienced most illegal poaching in past few decades. The government has taken additional measures to strengthen security that showed a dip in rhino deaths in the year 2015 and 2016. Even after the decline in poaching, 1054 Rhinos died in 2016.&nbsp;

Recently, the High Courts of South Africa said that they will make rhino horn trade legal within the country, that may worsen the crisis situation.

Same as rhino horns, elephant tusks are also smuggled from eastern Africa to Asia. Poachers nowadays are highly equipped. They use night vision goggles, automatic weapons and chainsaws to kill rhinos and elephants. After killing them they quickly remove the horns and tusks.

The African elephants are continuously wiped out as terrorist groups of South Africa are also dealing illegally in elephant tusks to buy arms and ammunition. Al Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab in Somalia, Joseph Kony&rsquo;s Lord&rsquo;s Resistance Army in central Africa and Boko Haram in Nigeria involved majorly in ivory trafficking.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-first-ladies-of-conservation-how-the-black-mambas-are-protecting-wildlife-in-south-africa-13178">Also Read: How women are protecting wildlife in South Africa</a>

Ivory is sold at an average of $850 per kilo.

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Snakeskin business is very popular in the fashion industry. It is used in making shoes, belts, purses etc (Others)
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Snakeskin business is very popular in the fashion industry, as it is a source of pure leather. Annually, half a million python skins are exported legally from south-east Asia in a trade worth $1 billion that is almost equal to illegal trade figures.

Along with snakeskin, alligator and crocodile skins are also very popular among fashion brands. The Paris based company &quot;Kering&quot;, that is behind big luxury brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen etc, has built its own python farm in Thailand to avoid illicit trade of python skin. They provide a healthy environment to farm snakes and focuses on the sustainable source of snakeskin. But monitoring and tracking of wild python skin trade still have insufficient control.

<div class="ui-state-default"><img alt="" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pangolin-20171004104356.jpg" />
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Pangolin fetuses, scales, and blood are used in traditional medicine (Others)
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Along with rhino, elephants and python, pangolins are famous among fauna smugglers. Pangolin, a small-headed, thick-tailed mammal, covered with tough overlapping scales. These scales are made up of keratin.

With growing population of China, the demand for traditional medicines also increased. Pangolin fetuses, scales, and blood are used in traditional medicine. The meat is considered as a delicacy and stuffed pangolins are sold as souvenirs. This continuous rising demand of pangolins is forcing these endangered animals closer to extinction.

On an average, 1 kilogram of pangolin scales is available at $3000.

Despite giving several laws by CITES ( Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), hunting, killing and black marketing of endangered species is prospering at a very alarming rate. Despite being a member of CITES, China has permitted pangolin consumption to respect their medicinal traditions.

Terrorism is financially flourishing on the poaching of endangered animals.

Even after implementing international laws and regulations, animal trafficking is continuously increasing. Illegal trade of wild animals is a very lucrative business. Tiger, elephant, and rhino, leopard, lizard, marine turtles, and pangolins, as well as, many species of snakes are poached for animal parts, such as ivory, horn, teeth, venom, skin, scales and bone. Wildlife trafficking is popular in regions like South Africa, Europe, China, Japan. Smuggling is not limited to living animals but even carcass are very important in many ways, such as skins tissues, bones or meat. It is sold at considerably high prices. The rhino horn is used to create valuable carvings and, also, traditional medicines in China (Others) × South Africa has the largest population of rhinos in the world, also, stands at number one when it comes to the hunting and killing of rhinos. Till 2014, the recorded number of rhinos poached in South Africa increased continuously. In 2010, it was 333 and in 2014 it raised to 1215. This immense rate advocates utmost importance to conserve these extremely endangered species. The rhino horns are exported mostly to China and Vietnam. It is used to create valuable carvings and is also used in traditional medicines. Areas like Kruger National Park (South Africa) and parts of Mozambique experienced most illegal poaching in past few decades. The government has taken additional measures to strengthen security that showed a dip in rhino deaths in the year 2015 and 2016. Even after the decline in poaching, 1054 Rhinos died in 2016. Recently, the High Courts of South Africa said that they will make rhino horn trade legal within the country, that may worsen the crisis situation. Same as rhino horns, elephant tusks are also smuggled from eastern Africa to Asia. Poachers nowadays are highly equipped. They use night vision goggles, automatic weapons and chainsaws to kill rhinos and elephants. After killing them they quickly remove the horns and tusks. The African elephants are continuously wiped out as terrorist groups of South Africa are also dealing illegally in elephant tusks to buy arms and ammunition. Al Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab in Somalia, Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army in central Africa and Boko Haram in Nigeria involved majorly in ivory trafficking. Also Read: How women are protecting wildlife in South Africa Ivory is sold at an average of $850 per kilo. Snakeskin business is very popular in the fashion industry. It is used in making shoes, belts, purses etc (Others) × Snakeskin business is very popular in the fashion industry, as it is a source of pure leather. Annually, half a million python skins are exported legally from south-east Asia in a trade worth $1 billion that is almost equal to illegal trade figures. Along with snakeskin, alligator and crocodile skins are also very popular among fashion brands. The Paris based company "Kering", that is behind big luxury brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen etc, has built its own python farm in Thailand to avoid illicit trade of python skin. They provide a healthy environment to farm snakes and focuses on the sustainable source of snakeskin. But monitoring and tracking of wild python skin trade still have insufficient control. Pangolin fetuses, scales, and blood are used in traditional medicine (Others) × Along with rhino, elephants and python, pangolins are famous among fauna smugglers. Pangolin, a small-headed, thick-tailed mammal, covered with tough overlapping scales. These scales are made up of keratin. With growing population of China, the demand for traditional medicines also increased. Pangolin fetuses, scales, and blood are used in traditional medicine. The meat is considered as a delicacy and stuffed pangolins are sold as souvenirs. This continuous rising demand of pangolins is forcing these endangered animals closer to extinction. On an average, 1 kilogram of pangolin scales is available at $3000. Despite giving several laws by CITES ( Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), hunting, killing and black marketing of endangered species is prospering at a very alarming rate. Despite being a member of CITES, China has permitted pangolin consumption to respect their medicinal traditions.

Terrorism, fashion and Illegal animal trafficking

Thai police have charged 22 people, among them 17 members of the Tiger Temple including three Buddhist monks, who tried to flee with a truckload of tiger skins. They were charged on acts related to wildlife trafficking and possession. The police removed more dead animals including a bear and a leopard, Adisorn Nuchdamrong of the country&#39;s department of national parks said today. 
 
The temple in Kanchanaburi province, west of the capital, Bangkok, has been a major tourist attraction for more than two decades, with visitors paying 600 baht ($17) admission to pose for photographs with the tigers. 
 
Wildlife activists have accused the temple of illegally breeding the tigers while some visitors on online forums complained that the tigers appeared sedated. 
 
The temple denies the accusations. 
 
It followed the grim discovery on Wednesday of the bodies of 40 tigers cubs inside a freezer. 
 
It remains unclear why the dead tiger cubs were being stored, though tiger bones and body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve confiscated all the hard disks of closed circuit cameras in this temple for police to find evidence of wrongdoing,&quot; Adisorn said. 
 
The temple officially opened in 1994 close to a wild tiger habitat. It received its first tiger cub, which had been found by villagers, in 1999. 
 
The cub died soon after but villagers kept bringing cubs to the temple, usually when the mothers had been killed by poachers, the temple said. 
 
Repeated efforts to shut down the temple have been blocked by the monks. 
 
Thailand is a well-known trafficking hub of illicit wildlife products, including ivory. 
 
Thailand&#39;s wildlife department began raiding the temple on Monday. There were 137 tigers inside the temple and 119 have been removed. 
 
The World Wildlife Fund said in April that the number of wild tigers in the world stands at around 3,890, with more than 100 wild tigers in Thailand.

Thai police removed more dead animals including a bear and a leopard.

Thai police have charged 22 people, among them 17 members of the Tiger Temple including three Buddhist monks, who tried to flee with a truckload of tiger skins. They were charged on acts related to wildlife trafficking and possession. The police removed more dead animals including a bear and a leopard, Adisorn Nuchdamrong of the country's department of national parks said today. The temple in Kanchanaburi province, west of the capital, Bangkok, has been a major tourist attraction for more than two decades, with visitors paying 600 baht ($17) admission to pose for photographs with the tigers. Wildlife activists have accused the temple of illegally breeding the tigers while some visitors on online forums complained that the tigers appeared sedated. The temple denies the accusations. It followed the grim discovery on Wednesday of the bodies of 40 tigers cubs inside a freezer. It remains unclear why the dead tiger cubs were being stored, though tiger bones and body parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine. "We've confiscated all the hard disks of closed circuit cameras in this temple for police to find evidence of wrongdoing," Adisorn said. The temple officially opened in 1994 close to a wild tiger habitat. It received its first tiger cub, which had been found by villagers, in 1999. The cub died soon after but villagers kept bringing cubs to the temple, usually when the mothers had been killed by poachers, the temple said. Repeated efforts to shut down the temple have been blocked by the monks. Thailand is a well-known trafficking hub of illicit wildlife products, including ivory. Thailand's wildlife department began raiding the temple on Monday. There were 137 tigers inside the temple and 119 have been removed. The World Wildlife Fund said in April that the number of wild tigers in the world stands at around 3,890, with more than 100 wild tigers in Thailand.

Wildlife trafficking at Thai Tiger Temple: 22 including three Buddhist monks charged

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