Cambodian authorities rescued more than half a ton of live tortoises and pythons stolen by smugglers, a forestry official said Tuesday, the latest haul in a country with a thriving illegal wildlife trade.
The animals — 102 elongated tortoises and 17 pythons — weighed a total of 570 kilos. Forestry official Y Sophy said, they were confiscated Monday afternoon from a cargo truck in Cambodia’s Kandal province.
No arrests were made as the truck’s driver fled after being pulled over.
The rescued tortoises and pythons are now with a conservation group that will release them back into the wild.
The elongated tortoise is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (Eagle News Service)