After watching 60 Minutes last night, my eyes were opened to the plight of endangered tortoises around the world, and particularly in Madagascar. Apparently, poachers on the remote island off of the coast of Africa have been hunting these rare animals because their shells can fetch upwards of $60,000 a piece in Asian countries like China, where it is believed that consuming tortoise meat will guarantee longevity for humans.
The Plowshare Tortoise photo: WildMadagascar.com
It is sad because the numbers of Plowshare tortoises is dwindling. In fact, less than 300 in the wild. And now an American hotelier (The Bowery Hotel and The Jane in NYC), Eric Goode, is trying to save the lives of these threatened animals, one tortoise at a time. Click here for more on this story.
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Wow, I never knew. Thx for sharing.