Wildlife trade

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News from our Rescue Center in New Jersey

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News from our Rescue Center in New Jersey

An enthusiastic team of volunteers got together at our rescue center in New Jersey last weekend to help us search for, count, and medically assess turtles rescued from the illegal pet trade before they enter hibernation with the onset of the cold season. The work ahead of this inventory exercise seemed monumental in the face of unseasonable 90° weather.


The majority of the animals living at the center come from confiscations from smugglers trying to export native U.S. species of turtles, including Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), Box Turtles (Terrapene spp.) and Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata). The center is also home to animals confiscated from illegal pet ownership.Maurice Rodrigues, one of the founders of the Turtle Conservancy and an active conservationist, runs the center which provides a caring home for all these confiscated animals…

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17th Conference of the Parties to CITES

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17th Conference of the Parties to CITES

The Turtle Conservancy's director of international conservation programs, Peter Paul van Dijk recently returned from the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The conference was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from September 24th to October 5th.

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CITES Meeting: Turtle Conservationists Urge Immediate Action To End Poaching Of Ploughshare Tortoise

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CITES Meeting: Turtle Conservationists Urge Immediate Action To End Poaching Of Ploughshare Tortoise

Angonoka Working Group Calls on CITES Conference of the Parties and Government of Madagascar to Prevent Imminent Extinction of Emblematic Species

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Sulawesi Expedition

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Sulawesi Expedition

The Turtle Conservancy recently returned from a three week tour in Indonesia. The team held meetings with conservation groups and animal dealers about ways to help the two endemic species on the island of Sulawesi, the Sulawesi Forest Turtle and the Forsten's Tortoise.

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Wildlife Reserves Singapore

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Wildlife Reserves Singapore

TC director, Eric Goode, sat down with Wildlife Reserves Singapore conservation director, Dr. Sonja Luz, and discussed issues of illegal trade, confiscations of Ploughshare Tortoises in Southeast Asia, and identified species both organizations can team up with and save from extinction.

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China's Booming Turtle Trade

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China's Booming Turtle Trade

On April 24th, Turtle Conservancy traveled to Shunde, China to present to the Shunde Turtle Breeder's Association. This turtle expo and conference was host to over 160 different breeding operations and 10,000 visitors...

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Star Tortoise Trade, Ivory Surveys and Much More

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Star Tortoise Trade, Ivory Surveys and Much More

The October issue of the TRAFFIC Bulletin, has been published and features a number of papers highlighting the emerging online trade in wildlife.

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‘Shocking’ scale of illegal trade in Indian star tortoise uncovered

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‘Shocking’ scale of illegal trade in Indian star tortoise uncovered

Over 55,000 star tortoises illegally collected from just one “trade hub” in south India in one year, study found.

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TC Film about the Philippines Turtle Crisis

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DISCLAIMER: This film contains graphic depictions of sick or deceased turtles that may be difficult for some viewers.

In June of this year, more than 3,800 Critically Endangered Palawan Forest Turtles were confiscated by authorities on Palawan Island in the Philippines. Within 36 hours, the TC’s Dr. Paul Gibbons and many other organizations and individuals from around the world flew there to help rehabilitate these turtles and return them to the wild. The TC’s James Liu went undercover there to get to the bottom of this global crisis and to capture it all on film. This TC film production, directed by James Liu, captures events at the crisis center, and records on hidden camera his visit the restaurant where the Philippine Forest Turtle was first rediscovered in 2001. James also managed to track down and interview one of the poachers of the confiscated turtles. What might have become a terrible tragedy turned into an amazing success story, due to the collaboration between organizations and individuals to save these turtles. We could not have done this important work without the incredibly generous support of donations from so many – thank you!

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UPDATE: Crisis in the Philippines

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UPDATE: Crisis in the Philippines

A week ago we were alerted to the hearbreaking news that over 4,000 endangered turtles were confiscated from a well-organized syndicate of poachers in the Philippines, destined for the illegal food and pet trade markets in East Asia. Of these 4,000 animals, nearly 3,800 were Philippine Forest Turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis), a Critically Endangered species that is endemic to the Island of Palawan.

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Crisis in the Philippines

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Crisis in the Philippines

Authorities in Palawan confiscated over 4,000 turtles just before they were to be shipped out from their native island in the Philippines. More than 3,800 of them were endemic Philippine Forest Turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis), a species that exists only in a very small area in the northern end of Palawan.

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Ploughshare Tortoise Confiscation Update

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Ploughshare Tortoise Confiscation Update

Just before the Holidays, Turtle Conservancy’s Managing Director and veterinarian, Dr. Paul Gibbons, returned to Bangkok, Thailand together with representatives from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Richard Lewis and Tsanta Fiderana Rakotonanahary from Madagascar. The purpose of this visit was to teach a seminar on managing the health and husbandry of large groups of confiscated turtles and tortoises, and to monitor the status of the confiscated Ploughshare Tortoises that we assisted with in May 2013.

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