Over ten thousand critically endangered tortoises are fighting for their lives after two devastating cyclones destroyed their sanctuary in Madagascar.
Over 800 have already drowned. Even more tragic, all were initially rescued from the horrific illegal trade. Rescuers are continuing to search for survivors and have so far recovered several thousand, all struggling to swim in the fast-rising waters.
Desperate tortoises attempting to swim to safety as cyclone destroys their sanctuary. Credit: TSA
Our priority now is to relocate the survivors to safety as quickly as possible. Please help now.
We MUST save critically endangered tortoises from a devastating cyclone in Madagascar.
Our partner in Madagascar, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), runs two critical sanctuaries for rescued tortoises.
Tropical cyclone Dikeledi has completely destroyed one of these, displacing the 12,000 fragile tortoises in its care and claiming the lives of hundreds.
A second cyclone, bringing heavy rains and flooding, has obliterated any chance of rebuilding the sanctuary for the moment.
Rescuers wade through floodwaters to save displaced, critically endangered tortoises. Credit: TSA
Juvenile tortoises exposed to extreme weather conditions are at risk of pneumonia and dying. Please help us get them critical care, FAST.
Thousands of radiated and spider tortoises have been recovered and search-and-rescue efforts continue.
Five thousand of those recovered are juveniles, and their prolonged exposure to the floodwaters has put them at acute risk of pneumonia. They require urgent, specialized care to survive, and to receive this, they MUST be relocated to TSA’s remaining sanctuary, roughly 234 miles (375 kilometers) away.
Credit: TSA
Please help us raise $3,000 to hire a transport vehicle and get the sick, struggling tortoises to safety.
These little creatures have already survived so much.
Each has been saved from the horrors of the illegal wildlife trade, which sees them stolen from the wild to be eaten, or shipped in abhorrent conditions to be “pets” – mostly in Asia, but also in Europe and America.
Critically endangered tortoises are poached in their thousands every year, and illegally smuggled in horrendous conditions. Credit: TSA
Often during transportation, tortoises are tightly packed, starved and their shells broken, and countless die on route to their final destination.
Madagascar’s radiated tortoises are especially sought-after as “pets,” and their populations have plummeted 75% since the early 2000s, rendering them critically endangered. The International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) predicts the species could be extinct by as soon as 2050.
Credit: TSA
Once abundant in Madagascar, tortoise populations have declined alarmingly over the past 20 years. All four local species are now critically endangered.
We have a chance right now to help save 5,000 of these severely compromised and critically endangered animals. Will you help them?
Please, donate right away and help us save their lives – and give hope to their entire species.
