The Ploughshare Tortoise is one of the most endangered species on the planet. Results from the 2016 field season indicate that the wild population, which has been stable at 300-500 adults and subadults for several years, declined dramatically in the past 12 months. A multi-pronged approach including military patrols, field surveys, community development, radio-tracking, and support to the local judiciary is no longer sufficient. Systematic poaching is now being fueled by rising market prices around the world and poor socio-economic conditions in the native range of the tortoise. Illegal international trade is facilitated by improved technology and global communication.
In response to the emerging crisis, the Turtle Conservancy recently met with our partners in the International Angonoka Working Group to develop the global response plan (Angonoka is the Malagasy name for the Ploughshare Tortoise). All options are on the table and we are moving forward to work in close collaboration with the Madagascar government as well as government and non-governmental organizations around the world.
Our plan for the next 3 years will focus on protecting every one of the remaining wild tortoises and will cost hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars. We ask you to join The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation and Global Wildlife Conservation who have already pledged to match the Turtle Conservancy with funding to launch this initiative. Substantial additional support is essential.
Donate now and join us in this global response. You can also help by notifying the Turtle Conservancy or your local wildlife authorities about Ploughshare Tortoises being advertised for sale anywhere in the world or on the Internet. Together, we can prevent the Ploughshare Tortoise from becoming extinct in the wild.