SUNDAY TRIBUNE (KwaZulu-Natal, S Africa) 10 July 05 Zanzibar tortoises disappearing fast

Zanzibar: Thieves are taking advantage of lax security and the docile nature of giant Aldabra tortoises to purloin growing numbers of the protected reptiles from Zanzibar's Changu Island, a senior official said.

Despite efforts to stop the thefts, nearly half the estimated 200 Aldabra tortoises that troll the sun-drenched tourist stop have been picked or hoisted up and stolen over the past eight years, he said.

At least 80 of the slow-moving, placid herbivores, second in size only to the mammoth Galapagos tortoise, have been stolen between 1998 and 2004 and only eight have yet been returned, Zanzibar Tourism Minister Mussa Ame Silima said.

"We are working hard to prevent the theft of tortoises, one of the best tourist attractions in Zanzibar on Changu Island," he told lawmakers, pledging to curb the rampant theft of the animals.

Silima said eight stolen tortoises had been recovered and returned but 21 seized by authorities on the Tanzanian mainland had yet to be brought back due to an ongoing legal battle with the alleged owners.

His comments came in response to a question from MP Ramadhan Pandu who represents the Zanzibar South constituency in the Tanzanian island's parliament and demanded to know if the government took tortoise theft seriously.
Zanzibar tortoises disappearing fast

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• ZAF Press: Zanzibar tortoises disappearing fast - W von Papineäu, Mon Jul 11 19:47:51 2005