Animals Evolved

10,000 endangered turtle eggs were confiscated by Malaysian marine police on November 2.  The police believed the eggs were smuggled from Philippines.  According to Muhammad Sallam Spawi, an officer in Sabah state, the seizure was the biggest one in Sabah.  The four smugglers who communicated in Tagalog managed to flee themselves.  Abdul Karim Dakog, the state wildlife department officer, said the eggs were belonged to endangered green and Hawksbill turtles.  He hoped the eggs will be hatched in a conservation area.  Turtle eggs have been a popular dish in local market (~usd 80 cent / egg), but it is illegal to trade turtle eggs in Malaysia.

Source: My Sinchew

Image: Hanks Place

There are only four Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles left in China, and three of them are male.  “China Girl” was found last year in a Chinese zoo, and she was the only female turtle of its species in China.  She is 80 years old.  He is 100 years old.  Scientists tried to mate two turtles which have sum of age of 180 years.  Although they mated successfully, their eggs didn’t hatch.  They will try again next year.  China’s pollution and hunting are the main causes of the wipe-out of Yangtze turtles.

Source: Yahoo! News