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Wild caught
Posted: 22/08/2011 by krissander

Are wild caught tortoises legal, my wife found a site advertising one, I found it quite worrying.Click and drag me down to the editor

Re: Wild caught
Posted: 23/08/2011 by VivTPG

No, as there would have to be legal paperwork with the torts from the country it was taken from.
Vivienne

Re: Wild caught
Posted: 23/08/2011 by krissander

Is there  anyone I should report the site to in particular, it is a uk based website.

Re: Wild caught
Posted: 23/08/2011 by DavidWYork

Hi there.  I believe, you can still buy wild caught non-European tortoises which are exempt from the CITES restrictions. These would be able to be offered for sale:


Testudo horsfieldi
Geochelone pardalis
Geochelone sulcata
Geochelone elegans
Geochelone carbonaria

Annex B
Annex B
Annex B
Annex B
Annex B

Not required
Not required
Not required
Not required
Not required
  "Not required" refers to certification. I may be wrong on this, and would bow to a higher authority. Many people think all tortoises are unable to be imported...not true yet.     Regards, David nr York.

 

Re: Wild caught
Posted: 23/08/2011 by tortoise7

Thanks for that David
The problem is these people have found loop holes in th EU laws on how to bring the torts into the country, and the petshops and dealers are selling them.

The only way we can help to stop this, is to not buy any torts from the pets shops, Garden Centres or Dealers, and to let other people be aware of what goes on. The torts are riddled with parasites and disease, that will cost a fortune in vet bills or worse infect your existing tort.
Regards to above, that will explain why there is an abundance of horsfields & Sulcata's for sale out there Click and drag me down to the editor
My first reaction was the same as Vivienne's but sadly it can happen
Jane

 
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