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Rescuing Animals from Wildlife Trafficking Continued

Above: The trafficking in species of North American turtles, including the Blanding’s turtle pictured above, is threatening to wipe them out.
Most of the trafficked animals are illegally smuggled out of the United States and sold in Asian and European countries.

Traffickers Target Native Turtles
T r a f f i c k e r s T a r g e t Na t i ve T u r t le s Conference, or CITES COP19, representatives from more than
Turtles have been some of the most heavily trafficked animals 100 countries agreed to add 50 species of turtles and tortoises—
including 21 turtle species native to the U.S.—to lists of threatened
and turtles native to North America are the latest victims. species that receive additional protections to make sure trade in
The United States is home to 57 native species of turtles the species is sustainable. The species include snapping turtles,
and tortoises—many found nowhere else in the world. About map turtles, mud turtles, musk turtles, and softshell turtles.
40 percent of these species are at risk of extinction due to habitat To help save one native species—Blanding’s turtles—from
loss, pollution, disease, and capture for the illegal wildlife trade. extinction, the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) has been
Poached North American turtles are sold as pets in the working with county forest preserves and other groups to breed
domestic and European markets, but the greatest demand for the turtles and raise them until they are old enough to be safely
them is in Asia. Besides being sought as pets, they can become released into nearby forest preserves.
ingredients in traditional medicines or a delicacy on someone’s CZS has also joined the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
plate. Turtle trafficking is big business. In 2021, a man was (AZA) SAFE American Turtles Program. The recently created
imprisoned for running a criminal enterprise that smuggled program unites AZA-accredited institutions with state wildlife
1,500 protected species of American turtles, valued at millions agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations,
of dollars, from the U.S. to Hong Kong. and non-government organizations. Dr. Matt Allender, a clinical
Turtle trafficking has an outsized impact on species of turtles veterinarian with CZS, is one of the many veterinary advisors for
and tortoises. They are generally long-lived species that take the program and helps to perform diagnostic testing on confiscated
10 or more years to reach reproductive age. Unfortunately, the animals. He has received shipments of confiscated turtles at the
mature adult turtles are often targeted by poachers. Taking these University of Illinois Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, including
animals lowers the number of animals in future generations. the 16 that arrived with a highly fatal disease.
The overexploitation of American turtles has been recognized
as an international problem. At the 2022 World Wildlife

38 GATEWAYS | WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING