Fines issued for illegal keeping of tortoises

Two leopard tortoises, severely neglected, were rescued in the Mossel Bay area late last year, leading to fines for two residents for keeping wild animals captive illegally.

- Kristy Kolberg

This week, Leon Rossouw, founder of the Wildlife Crime Information Network (WCIN), confirmed that both individuals had been prosecuted and fined.

The WCIN is a regional, collaborative initiative aimed at combatting wildlife crime in the Garden Route area.

According to Rossouw, the animals were discovered after someone had reported them to the WCIN.

Working with the Garden Route SPCA, CapeNature and the police's Stock Theft Unit, the WCIN found the tortoises at two houses in Asla Park.

According to Rossouw, the illegal keeping, selling and abuse of tortoises are escalating issues.

The first one was found in a cramped enclosure without food, water or shade. It had a rope tied through a hole in its shell. The man (48) in whose possession it was, had no permit to keep it. He was fined R2 500 earlier this month for illegal possession of a wild animal.