More than 1,500 live turtles found duct-taped in suitcases
Cruelty or a buck or two!!!!
More than 1,500 live turtles found duct-taped in suitcases @CNN https://cnn.it/2INSbgB
The turtles belonged to four different species, three of which are listed as vulnerable.
(CNN)More than 1,500 live exotic turtles have been found wrapped in duct tape and packed into suitcases at an airport in the Philippines.
The animals, which had a total worth of 4.5 million Philippine pesos ($87,000), were probably set to be sold, the country's Bureau of Customs agency said in a Facebook post.
They had been smuggled onto a flight from Hong Kong, and were found in four unclaimed pieces of luggage at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Three of the species discovered -- the star, redfoot and African spurred tortoises -- are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but are frequently sold as part of the illegal exotic pet trade.
The fourth species, the red-eared slider turtle, is commonly kept as a pet around the world...........................
The animals were packed into four unclaimed suitcases.