Radiated tortoises are cute. They are not actually radioactive but are critically endangered. Understanding this, the Denver Zoo has joined a coordinated effort to save 11,000 of the world's most beautiful tortoises.
The zoo said in a Tuesday press release they were providing money and staff help with a large-scale rescue operation in Madagascar. The radiated tortoises were found on April 10 by local police in Toliara, Madagascar - a coastal city on the southwest side of the island.
The poor reptiles had no access to water or food and were being kept in poor condition - see pictures. Authorities told the Denver Zoo they believe the animals were being collected for sale on the illegal pet market in Southeast Asia.
On May 17, zoo staff is heading to the island to give supplies, medical care and housing construction for the animals.
The radiated tortoise is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature - mostly due to the destruction of their habitat and poaching for food - and sale on the illegal pet market.
Radiated tortoises have average lifespans of 40 - 50 years. Their shells are brightly marked with yellow lines coming out of a center 'dot' on their shells. They grow to about 16 inches in length and weigh an average of 35 pounds.
According to the Denver Zoo, the Madagascar government needed help and decided to call the Turtle Survival Alliance. The Turtle Survival Alliance is a global organization dedicated to making sure turtles and tortoises survive.
The alliance said triage efforts are being coordinated by a group of individuals, including members of the alliance's Madagascar staff. Surviving turtles were being rushed 18 miles north of where they were found to a 17-acre private facility in Ifaty, Madagascar. Each tortoise there received health evaluations and proper hydration.
While the Denver Zoo wasn't on the original list of 20 American zoos sending staff to help, they've been called upon to help as conservation efforts continue. If you're inclined to help, you can donate to the alliance via this link.
The goal of these conservation efforts is to return as many of the tortoises as possible to the wilds. Two Denver Zoo staffers, including Sean Ploysa - a carpenter at the zoo - and Max Maloney - a keeper and reptile expert - will head to Madagascar and provide whatever help they can. They're leaving May 17 and will return stateside June 2.
The radiated tortoise's numbers are declining in the wild, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said. The most recent estimates from the union put the extinction of the radiated tortoise 45 years in the future - unless things change. In the last 30 years, radiated tortoise populations have plummeted more than 80 percent.
When the tortoises were removed from the property in Toliara, hundreds of them died days later from illness and dehydration; there was nothing conservationists could do.
Some arrests have been made by local police after the tortoises were found.
