In October 2010, the TSA imported a group of 50 yellow-headed temple turtles (Heosemys annandalii) that had been confiscated from a large illegal shipment in Hong Kong (read the full story on the import here). The turtles are being kept in an assurance colony at a private facility owned by TSA member Kenan Harkin. We are very pleased to announce that the first clutch of eggs from this group of turtles has hatched!

Over the past few years in Hong Kong, large numbers of illegally imported and/or traded turtles have been confiscated. On one hand, these confiscations are a good sign of effective law enforcement, but on the other hand it indicates that the mass illegal trade in Asia is on-going. The CITES Hong Kong authorities, in close contact with the Kadoorie Farm Botanic Gardens (KFBG), has offered these confiscated turtles to the TSA for re-homing within TSA assurance colonies and breeding programs.
 
TSA Europe has played a vital role in re-homing significant numbers of turtles within the European zoos organized within the European Association for Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) and the privately managed European Studbook Foundation (ESF). The year 2010 was a particularly busy year for re-homing confiscated shipments.

The group of yellow-headed temple turtles (Hieremys annandalii) that was recently rescued from a confiscation in Hong Kong and imported by the TSA seems to be settling into their new Florida home quite nicely. One of the females recently laid eight eggs in the pond! Kenan Harkin, who is serving as the steward for this group, discovered the eggs right away and removed them from the water to an incubator. Five of them have banded, so we are hopeful that they are viable and will keep you posted on their progress. Thanks again to the Columbus Zoo and all of the other donors who helped make this rescue possible!

Fifty Yellow-Headed Temple Turtles have arrived in Florida to begin a new life after being rescued from an illegal wildlife shipment in Hong Kong. Had the turtles been successfully smuggled into China, they would have been killed to satisfy the large demand for turtle meat and turtle parts used in Chinese medicine.

One of the biggest undertakings the TSA is facing in the coming weeks is one that we couldn't have planned for - a major confiscation of smuggled turtles and tortoises in Hong Kong. Our friends at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) in Hong Kong contacted us in February seeking our assistance. The government had seized approximately 1,300 turtles, including over 150 endangered Asian Temple Turtles (Heosemys/Hieremys annandalii) and almost 200 critically endangered Madagascan Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata), and did not have the resources to house or care for the animals.