Thousands of endangered turtles seized by customs in Shanghai

Thousands of endangered turtles 

seized by customs in Shanghai

Wednesday, 03 February, 2016

[Disgusting!]

Shanghai’s customs authority has seized over 2,000 endangered turtles found in cargo boxes marked as containing crabs from Indonesia, according to a news website report.

Among the animals seized were 53 from species threatened with extinction, according to the article.

Some 2,292 of the turtles were from species classified as endangered.

The species seized included the Black pond turtle, usually found in South Asia.

The case is the largest of its kind in Shanghai involving smuggled endangered turtles, the report said.

The city authorities launched a crackdown on the smuggling of endangered plants and animals last year.

Wildlife charities say China is one of the main markets for endangered species, with animal parts often used in remedies in traditional Chinese medicine.