The top-secret tortoise sanctuary of Madagascar

Madagascar's conservationists are working in secrecy to protect one of the world's most beautiful tortoises from poachers, writes journalist Martin Vogl. 

 

The villa on the outskirts of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, has no sign to indicate what goes on there. There is barbed wire on the walls and dogs patrol at night.
The staff do not talk much to outsiders about what they do, and I promised not to give away any more about the location, other than to say that it is somewhere near the airport in the north of the city.
The secrecy and security is due to the fact that the villa is the headquarters of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and just next to the main building in small pens made from wood are more than 500 radiated tortoises.


It is these tortoises that need protecting. They are worth a lot of money.
They were going to be smuggled out of Madagascar when they were seized by officials and handed over to the TSA.
If the tortoises had made it to the international black market they could have been sold for around $800 (£600) each.
Radiated tortoises are sought after by collectors around the world, in part because of their stunning shells.
The name "radiated" refers to the black and yellow star-like pattern on their backs

Radiated tortoises: Pride of Madagascar

• One of the world's most beautiful tortoises

• Breeding season can be quite a noisy affair as rival males try their best to roll each other over and out of action

• Winner gets to mate with a female, after he has checked her out by sniffing her rear

• Occur naturally only in the extreme southern dry thorn and tropical forests of Madagascar

• Critically endangered, they are under pressure from habitat loss, poaching for food and exploitation in the pet trade

Source: BBC Nature