Nearly 1,000 lemurs and turtles, victims of wildlife trafficking, were returned from Thailand to Madagascar after an operation that lasted over 7 months.
A total of 16 ring-tailed lemurs, 31 brown lemurs, 155 radiated tortoises, and 758 spider tortoises were returned to Madagascar – all listed as vulnerable to critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The operation began in May when Thai authorities seized a shipment of 1,109 endangered lemurs and turtles from Madagascar.
Ninety percent of Madagascar’s species are not found in any other country, while Thailand is a leading importer of both legal and illegal wildlife trafficking.
The animals were cared for in a sanctuary—dozens were found dead after their seizure—until they were transported to Madagascar. The aim is to return them to their natural habitat.
The return of the wild animals marks the largest wildlife repatriation ever carried out for both Thailand and Madagascar.
The raid was the result of an ongoing international investigation involving the Royal Thai Police, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wildlife Justice Commission, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Interpol—the investigation aimed to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
Had they not been rescued, the animals would almost certainly have been sold on the global exotic pet market worth billions of dollars.
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