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45 Year Old Endangered Tortoise Found Burned to Death
by lgal3824 | September 4, 2008 at 07:42 pm
549 views | 28 Recommendations | 12 comments
Look at this face, and ask yourself. Who in the world would harm or kill one of these endangered animals. Apparently, someone decided to and hopefully they will be caught.
An endangered tortoise has been found burned to death in a fire grate at Black Rock campground in the Yucca Valley area.
Joe Zarki, information officer for Joshua Tree National Park, says rangers are seeking information from anyone who knows anything related to the dead desert tortoise found Aug. 4. He estimates the tortoise was 45 years old.
Desert tortoises are a threatened species, protected by the federal Endangered Species Act as well as state wildlife laws. The desert tortoise also is California’s official state reptile.
–Associated Press
More details regarding the tragic death of this 45 year old animal. If anyone has any information regarding this crime please contact the authorities.
The release did not say if it was a male or female and park officials could not be reached for further details Tuesday afternoon.
Desert tortoises are a threatened species that are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act and state wildlife laws.
They were designated as threatened in 1990.
California's population of desert tortoises has declined by 80 percent or 90 percent since the 1970s, said Bureau of Land Management Wildlife Biologist Mark Massar.
“There are places in the western Mojave Desert where the tortoise is wiped out completely,” he said.
Tortoises have been killed by passing vehicles, ravens that eat baby reptiles and an upper respiratory tract disease that Massar compared to the flu.
Officials said the raven population has grown over the years in the region because the birds also feed from area landfills.
“Ultimately, it's all related to humans,” Massar said.
Tortoises can live to be 100 years old and may grow to 15 inches.
“You're not straining to pick up a tortoise; a child could easily pick up a tortoise,” Massar said.
According to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, anyone found guilty of harming an endangered species is subject to criminal penalties of up to one year in federal prison and $50,000 in fines.
Civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation may also be imposed.
September 4, 2008 at 07:42 pm by lgal3824, 549 views, 12 comments
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (12)
at 19:56 on September 4th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff. Well, glad to see the story posted, terrible that it happened. It must have made the people responsible feel pretty big to kill an animal with no defense against a human. Millions of years of evolution, but yet animals still can't defend themselves from the evil ideas that pop into some people's heads.
at 20:06 on September 4th, 2008
Thanks for the Flag and the comment - This makes me physically ill.
at 20:45 on September 4th, 2008
I had a friend years ago who worked for the aerospace company in charge of the shuttle landings in CA. They spent two million dollars each landing by finding every tortoise, taking an exact satellite position and direction then replacing them in the exact spot facing the exact direction they had been in.
How much more should the government spend? Should they cut Medicare or raise taxes?
at 22:18 on September 4th, 2008
I think that we should all respect the life on this planet. If not, soon enough, it will be only humans and nothing but dirt. It's not the Earth that is going anywhere folks, it's life as we know it.
So yeah, you can belittle them for finding the endangered species and protecting them - I'm sure it was budgeted for - but in the end, it saves your and future generations of your butt too.
However, why not stay on topic - and realize that this is animal cruelty - regardless of whether or not this is an endangered animal. Would you burn a cat or a dog (they're not endangered) on a campfire? No. Do you think it's right to do the same thing to ANY animal (or human for that matter?)
If not, then why do you persist in bringing irrelevant arguments to the table on the article about animal abuse and torture and the search for the culprit? It's been proven over and over again that the people who do this - are also capable of being other types of killers.... which would make you more outraged? This or hanging out for a few years and having your neighbor or a family member killed?
at 08:50 on September 5th, 2008
When I was living in Costa Rica there was a sea turtle sanctuary paid fro by the US, 2 million a year. The GREEN guy who got the money took all the turtle eggs and put them in plastic milk cartons in sand. Almost all of them died. Two years later he sold his beach mansion that the American public paid for. A friend who owned a lot of beach front property in the area told me it was a regular occurrence there. In the name of saving the turtle population they were bilking the public. These guys were legitimate greenies just like Al Gore with his huge motor boats, jets and 12,000 dollar home electric bill.
You people are just suckers.
at 22:46 on September 4th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff.
phoenixesrose is right. Numerous sociopaths began by killing animals and worked their way up the food chain to eventually kill humans. But the possibility of future murders aside, the tortoise had a right to live, and I hope they catch the person or persons who did this. There should be a reward offered.
Mary
at 01:43 on September 5th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 03:10 on September 5th, 2008
Desert tortoises generally emerge from their burrows mid-March to feed on ephemeral plants. During a roughly six week period fresh green grass and spring wildflowers are their primary nutritional source. Dry stems of grass and cactus pads provide sustenance in dryer times. Introduced plant species have greatly encroached upon native plant species in the desert tortoise's natural range, degrading the existing natural ecosystem. Desert tortoise have, however, adapted to eating Erodiom and other non-active species.
The Desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, was listed as a treatend species April 2, 1990 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. (source: http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/biology/tortoise1/)
at 02:19 on September 5th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff. in my city, karachi, the green turtles come on to the beach to lay their eggs. it is a protected species. yet, many a times people plunder their eggs and in the past misbehaviour was common. however, due to a sustained protection programme run by the sindh wildlife protection agency, spearheaded by a woman called 'the turtle lady', the campaign has paid off and most people have understood the need to protect the turtles rather than kill them. i am posting a picture too.
at 07:40 on September 5th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I better not say what I would do with whom ever did that if I would cash them.
at 08:59 on September 5th, 2008
lgal3824, I like this story. It's good stuff. People who torture animals are dangerous, not just to the helpless animals, but to helpless people as well. So, even if we don't give a "hoot" about the tortoise, we should care about our own skins and try really hard to catch them.
at 10:32 on September 5th, 2008
lgal3824, This story is disgusting. I used to own tortoises. I can't believe anyone would do that. Sickening.