The Peruvian authorities discovered 29 turtles from the Galapagos Islands, which are considered on the brink of extinction, on the bus. Poachers were going to sell wild animals in European countries.
Almost three dozen turtles from the Galapagos Islands, which are in the red book, will return to Ecuador. This was reported to the Peruvian authorities. Earlier turtles were rescued from alleged traffickers. Official representatives of the Galapagos National Park discovered 29 small turtles, two of whom died, in a cardboard box in a bus that followed from northern Peru to Lima.
According to preliminary data, turtles were transported to the European black market. The bus driver and transport company are under investigation. As the turtles are small, officials of the Galapagos Park said that genetic studies will be needed to determine the area of the archipelago from which they were taken.
Eleven species of giant turtles live on the territory of the Galapagos Islands. The coast of Ecuador is famous for its unique flora and fauna, studied by Charles Darwin, developing his theory of evolution. Giant tortoise Lonely George, the last known member of the subspecies of Geochelone nigra abingdoni, died in 2012.
