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Fifteen wild tortoises have been saved and released into a nature reserve after police discovered them illegally kept in an enclosure in Chatty, Gqeberha. Additionally, four tortoises were found dead at the site. The owner, lacking a permit for the animals, willingly turned them over to the authorities. This incident underscores the challenges wild tortoises face due to illegal captivity, despite legal protections in place in South Africa.

On October 23, officers from the Mount Road Police Station’s Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit uncovered the tortoises while investigating an unrelated matter. Upon finding the tortoises in a makeshift enclosure, one officer noticed four dead tortoises nearby. The owner, unable to produce a permit, surrendered the 15 live tortoises and four dead ones to the police. Subsequently, the animals were handed over to the Animal Anti-Cruelty League for care.

Wild tortoises are prohibited from being captured, collected, or kept as pets in South Africa, as per provincial and national laws. The rescued tortoises, comprising leopard, mountain, and angulate species, were taken to a wildlife expert for rehabilitation, with one requiring treatment for an injured shell. The rescued animals were eventually released into the Grootkloof Nature Conservation Reserve.

Beverley Rademeyer, an inspector with the Animal Anti-Cruelty League, explained that the release of the tortoises was crucial as keeping wild animals in confined spaces contravenes the Animal Protection Act. Rademeyer stressed the importance of these animals having their natural environment to thrive, reach their full lifespan, and reproduce. Over her two decades with the league, Rademeyer has released more than 1,000 tortoises, often finding them in dire conditions, such as being chained and deprived of basic necessities.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) highlights that South Africa hosts 13 tortoise species, most of which are endemic to the country. In December 2024, the EWT reported declining populations of three endangered species, attributing the declines to habitat loss, poaching, and crow predation.