Cambodia's Elongated Tortoise Now Classed as "Critically Endangered".

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Elongated Tortoise's Conservation Status Changed to Critically Endangered
AKP Phnom Penh, May 12, 2019 --
Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) is now changed from endangered to critically endangered on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The concern was shared by Mr. Michael Meyerhoff, Country Director of Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) based in Siem Reap province.

"The change in the conservation status is due to the decline across its range by at least 80 percent in the last 90 years (three generations) for habitat loss reasons alone, and has additionally been extensively and intensively exploited for consumption and export trade. Up to now freshwater turtles and tortoises are globally one of the most threatened vertebrate groups with more than 50 percent of all species in the world with around 360 species in total and 14 species in Cambodia facing extinction," Mr. Michael Meyerhoff told the AKP via telegram recently.

Fortunately, ACCB started the breeding project of the Elongated Tortoise, one of the most endangered tortoise species in Cambodia in 2013, he pointed out.

“Currently, there are around 500 individuals of nine native species of turtles and tortoises with 300 of them are Elongated tortoises alone in ACCB and we have bred 73 baby elongated tortoises in 2018 and 35 baby tortoises already hatched in 2019 after the first heavy rain,” he added.

In Cambodia, the Elongated Tortoise suffers a lot from habitat loss and illegal trade, even though this species is protected by Cambodian law, Mr. Meyerhoff said.
http://akp.gov.kh/post/detail/9362

[John Bingham]

They are believed to have aphrodisiac properties by Chinese but I have seen locals eating them. Quite a few times neighbors have asked me to sit down and join them for a feast of tortoise or more often fresh water terrapin and I have to refuse and express my distaste in my best Khmer.

[Anchor Moy]

They are believed to have aphrodisiac properties by Chinese but I have seen locals eating them. Quite a few times neighbors have asked me to sit down and join them for a feast of tortoise or more often fresh water terrapin and I have to refuse and express my distaste in my best Khmer.

Being able to speak Khmer to your neighbors permits you to refuse to eat protected species with grace and style.
Now we also need to learn how to say it in mandarin.

[markd]

except for humans and farmed animals, everything is critically endangered or extinct and soon everything except humans and farmed animals will be extinct

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Tortoise protection in Cambodia
20 September 2019
Some 60 percent of all turtles worldwide are threatened, endangered or critically endangered. At the ACCB in Cambodia - where turtles are eaten and also used in traditional medicine - conservationists are working to protect endangered tortoise species and boost their populations.
Link to 7min video: https://www.dw.com/en/tortoise-protecti ... v-50511597

[John Bingham]

The numbers of tortoises I see regularly turning up being smuggled in news reports is astounding. These must only be the tip of the iceberg, and the animals are rare enough already. It's something that dismays me - these beautiful gentle creatures have survived for millions of years only to all get wiped out in a few decades of soup. FTW