The commercial trade in wild animals is a multi-billion dollar business that threatens the survival of many species and results in the inhumane treatment of billions of animals every year. Each year billions of animals of all types are captured from the wild and sold in the wildlife trade.
Methods used to capture and kill wild animals whose parts are destined for the trade, particularly when this is done on a large scale, as are many commercial operations, are grossly inhumane. Animals are often poisoned, trapped or snared, or bludgeoned to death. Their parts are often removed even before they are dead.
Egyptian tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni (Lortet, 1883), the smallest member of the Mediterranean family of tortoises. It is as much an enigma and a mystery as the ancient land of Egypt where its natural history has unfolded. This little tortoise has carved its niche from ages before the ages of the Pharaohs and sphinxes, as part of the lasting legacy of 280 million years of chelonian history on the earth. These beautiful animals are now extremely endangered in Egypt, as indeed, throughout its range. In Egypt proper, it may be that kleinmanni populations are in fact functionally extinct due to sparsity and fragmentation, and because of the illegal pet trade.
Case study, booklet, presentations, story and Clay motion movie have been produced to explain & discuss pet trade issue. |
