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  Straits Times 21 Jun 06
Tragic End for Box Turtles

These South Asian box turtles, an endangered species, are part of a shipment of 2,500 seized by the authorities on Jun 13. However, most died while waiting to be sent back to Indonesia. As of noon yesterday, only 70 were still alive.

Mr Bobby Lee, a senior wildlife enforcement officer with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), is seen here feeding some of the turtles with cabbage.

The reptiles can only be traded with a permit issues by the country of origin. But these turtles were shipped in with 2,900 non-protected turtles that had valid papers. The shipment was believed to have been headed for cooking pots in Hong Kong.

Mr Lee said his officers found many turtles already dead and the rest showing signs of stress when they were seized. He said the turtles could not be sent back then because the ship's captain had been arrested for smuggling, so the AVA "did the best we could under such circumstances -- which was to feed them with cabbage and to hose them with water".

He said it was not known how long the turtles had been kept stacked atop one another in 72 crates when they arrived in Singapore from Sumatra.

The ship's captain has been jailed for five months and fined $20,000. It is know known yet when the surviving turtles can be sent back to Indonesia, although the vessel and the rest of its crew are now free to leave Singapore.

Mr Lee urged the public to call 62270670 to tip off the AVA on matters pertaining to illegal wildlife trade.
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