This campaign has now closed
The ploughshare tortoise from Madagascar is critically endangered. Initial threates to its survival were caused by disappearing habitat, so we began working with local people to overcome this. More recently another threat has emerged, the abhorent illegal pet trade, and the risk of illegal poaching.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
Due to the threat of illegal poaching, we hold a safety net population of ploughshares at a captive breeding centre at Ampijoroa, the total number of tortoises is now 577. However, due to the still present threats of poaching, we are unable to return these creatures to the wild. We are also holding around 100 individuals, that were captured from the wild, in a small temporary centre in Baly Bay, under armed guard. This temporary solution has been in place for over 2yrs and needs addressing.
Solution
We have approval from Madagascar National Parks to build an 8 hectare exclosure within the Park, to release these 100 individuals. We have already bought the materials and now need to fund the construction. The exclosure is a secure, fenced and guarded area that will keep the tortoises safe and keep poachers and invasive species out. Unfortunately the illegal trade of these species is hugely lucrative. Our community based work enables local people to learn and take responsibility of the project
