Burmese Star Tortoise Back from the Brink of Extinction

Burmese star tortoise

It has recently been reported that the Burmese star tortoise has made a comeback from the brink of extinction. This has been a result of a strong captive-breeding effort, which led to a population surge of 14,000 individuals according to a recent paper in the journal Herpetological Review. Native to Burma's central dry zone, these tortoises came to attention in 2003 when a survey team spent almost 1,000 hours searching for one of them but could not find one. The tortoise was then concluded to be ecologically extinct in the wild. In order to save the species, the Wildlife Conservation Society joined forces with an international conservation network called the Turtle Survival Alliance along with the government of Burma. A captive-breeding program was established at three local wildlife sanctuaries. The team began with around 175 tortoises, mostly seized from exotic animal traffickers,  and were supported by an army of herpetologists, molecular scientists, and veterinarians from the Bronx Zoo. Now, 750 tortoises have been released into the sanctuaries. It has been confirmed that the remaining 13,000 or so tortoises will remain in captivity until poaching is reduced. However, there is a constant threat of theft with about 200 tortoises stolen from the program so far. To prevent further thefts, the captive tortoises are kept in 10-foot concrete enclosures with concertina wire looped over the top and heavily guarded round-the-clock by staff members. Nevertheless, the project has been a success, astounding its strongest supporters, who call it a "model chelonian conservation success story."

Map of the Central Dry Zone in Burma

It is indeed a tremendous news for global conservation that the Burmese star tortoise has made a successful comeback from the brink of extinction. So far, 750 of these reptiles have been released into the wild. It is highly crucial to aggressively protect them from anthropogenic pressures like the exotic pet trade, poaching, and habitat destruction. This would increase their chances of survival and when they do, more captive populations can be reintroduced into the wild. The Burmese star tortoise is a critically endangered species, meaning it should be strongly protected to ensure its population increases to the point that it can be relabeled as either "Endangered" or "Vulnerable" according to the IUCN Red List.

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