The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) said it received over 1,000 tortoises rescued from six confiscation cases, in Madagascar.
This is from January to April of this year.
This excludes the more than 3,200 tortoises rescued last Spring, by a major anti-poaching operation in that country.
As a result, 23 people were arrested for their role in an international wildlife trafficking network.
Among the animals recovered were Radiated Tortoises, Spider Tortoises, and Ploughshare Tortoises—all of which are critically endangered.
The TSA in Madagascar, said it is working to give trafficked tortoises a second chance by returning them to protected habitats within their native range, where they can once again play a role in their ecosystems.
Picture: Supplied