Angonoka Tortoise - Conservation

Conservation

This species is one of the rarest land tortoises in the world, classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The principal threats to the species are believed to be fires started to clear land for cattle grazing, and collection for the pet trade. The tortoise has a restricted distribution, likely a result of past collection for food, the expansion of agriculture, and accompanying fires. An additional threat is predation by the bushpig. Fires made to clear land can get out of control, turning into wildfires, which cut back more of the angonoka tortoise's habitat. Following efforts to create firebreaks through controlled fires in savanna fringes by conservation groups, out-of-control fires have decreased, until less than 50 hectares (120 acres) of its habitat were burnt in 2004. The angonoka tortoise is often captured to be sold in the international pet trade. Even though there is some successful enforcement of restrictions on illegal trade, including the confiscation of the illegally obtained tortoises, they remain in incredibly high demand for the global pet trade. This is a major threat to the tortoises remaining in the wild.

In addition to its Red List listing, the angonoka tortoise is now protected under the national law of Madagascar and listed on Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting international trade in the species. For the conservation of the angonoka tortoise, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust created Project Angonoka in 1986. The Water and Forests Department, the Durrell Trust, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) work together on this project. A captive breeding facility was established for this species in Madagascar in 1986 by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now the Durrell Trust) in collaboration with the Water and Forests Department. In May 1996, 75 tortoises were stolen from the facility. The thieves were never found, but 33 tortoises later appeared for sale in Holland. The project ultimately was a success, achieving 224 captive-bred juveniles out of 17 adults in December 2004. After the 1990s, Project Angonoka started ecological research on the tortoise and the development of conservation plans that involved the communities surrounding the habitat. The work with the community involved local people in making firebreaks, along with the creation of a park proposed by the community to protect the tortoise and the forests. Although all these improvements have been made, monitoring of the angonoka tortoise in the global pet trade is still needed.