Leopard tortoises saved from certain death

Two leopard tortoises were rescued from severe neglect in the Mossel Bay area late last year, leading to fines issued to two residents for the illegal captivity of wild animals.

- Kristy Kolberg

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

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

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, they were able to find the tortoises at two houses in Asla Park.

The first one was found kept 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.