Can you help to build a veterinary centre for rescued Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) in Southern Madagascar?
You may make a donation using the button below.(Note: Unless you specify otherwise your donation will go to this years appeal)
We need to raise £10,000
Often these tortoises have been badly treated and stacked up in boxes for days ready for transit to meat markets or the illegal pet trade. They suffer dreadful injuries and need veterinary treatment before they can start their long road to recovery.
A well-equipped veterinary building will enable swift, effective treatment. The Turtle Survival Alliance has a 5 year Plan to construct an extensive Tortoise Conservation Centre (TCC), a project that will involve building a new secure centre in Southern Madagascar and the BCG is joining them to finance the Veterinary Centre. The overall site area is 562 acres and should give plenty of room for future
development.
The TSA – Madagascar program continues to be called on to manage confiscations of tortoises, both at the international airport in Antananarivo and in the rural south. In June, 453 baby Radiated tortoises were seized at the airport, all packed in eight cloth bags and crammed into a suitcase. Confiscation of tortoises both at the international airport in Antananarivo and in the rural south, continues to put demands on the present facilities.
There are more tortoises being seized every week, poaching is now out of control in the south poachers are now taking tortoises from the Reserve at Cap St Marie, which is sacred ground.
Tortoises are waiting to go into the new centre and there are an additional 1500 sitting in crowded conditions in Antananarivo, that need to move south soon. Thankfully construction is already underway on a water cistern, road, perimeter fencing and tortoise pens.
The survival of tortoises in Madagascar’s rural south will depend on a number of factors, primarily the ability to discourage poaching but intitally to develop a strong relationship with local communities, that will have robust tortoise populations and good habitat (often in sacred forests and ancestral burial grounds), and encourage them to uphold the centuries – old tradition in protecting tortoises.
Please help to ease the suffering of these beautiful tortoises and conserve them for future generations.
THANK YOU
On behalf of the Radiated Tortoises
ANNE ROWBERRY, CONSERVATION OFFICER
If you would like to donate you can do so when you renew your membership by adding the amount to the form or you can send a separate donation by cheque made out to THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP and specify that you would like the donation to go to the Conservation Appeal. Please send your cheque to:
Membership Secretary BCG, PO Box 16216, Tamworth, B77 9LA.
Please be aware that if for any reason the money donated cannot be used for this appeal the BCG will use the money to support similar chelonian conservation projects. Profits of the 2016 “Tortoise and Turtle Calendar” will go towards the 2016 Appeal.
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