Threatened Tortoises Smuggled Into U.S. Find New Homes at Dallas Zoo

Fifteen threatened tortoises smuggled into the U.S. and confiscated in Miami are now recuperating at the Dallas Zoo. The Home's hinge-back tortoises were smuggled into the U.S. on a plane back in November. U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspectors intercepted the shipment. When no one claimed them, a call went out to the reptile community for accredited groups to take them, the zoo said.The Dallas Zoo stepped up with an offer to take all the tortoises and sent boxes for Fish and Wildlife to FedEx the tortoises back in. "We figured most important thing was to start triage," said Ruston Hartdegen, the zoo's curator of herpetology. Originally there were 35 tortoises, however only 17 survived to be shipped to the Dallas Zoo. They came in poor health — covered in ticks and with internal parasites. One died shortly after arriving, and another died of a large tumor.  Continue reading...