Indian Star Tortoises rescued from Malaysia

Species | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

Why in the News?

Malaysia has seized about 200 smuggled Indian Star Tortoises and Turtles in a major crackdown. The Indian star tortoise is the single most confiscated species of freshwater tortoise in the world, according to wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC.

About **Indian Star Tortoises (*Geochelone elegans***)

	Details
Habitat	Found in Central and Southern India, West Pakistan, and Sri Lanka Typically resides in dry, open habitats such as scrub forests, grasslands, and rocky outcroppings
Threats	Habitat fragmentation due to urbanization and agricultural practices Loss of genetic diversity due to hybridization 90% of trade occurs in the international pet market, according to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
Protection Status	IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule I CITES: Appendix I

Back2Basics: TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce)

	Details
Founded	1976
Headquarters	Cambridge, United Kingdom
Mission	Ensure that trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten the conservation of nature.
Founding Partners	World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Focus Areas	Biodiversity Conservation Sustainable Development
Governance	TRAFFIC Committee (WWF and IUCN members) Cooperation with the CITES Secretariat
Staff Expertise	Biologists, conservationists, academics, researchers, communicators, investigators
Global Network	Research-driven, action-oriented global network
Key Functions	Evolution of wildlife trade treaties Expertise on urgent species trade issues (tiger parts, elephant ivory, rhino horn) Addressing large-scale commercial trade in timber and fisheries products
TRAFFIC in India	Programme Division of WWF-India since 1991 Based in New Delhi Collaborates with national and state governments to curb illegal wildlife trade