| Re: Tortoise Protection Group
I was interested to read your article. I bought a tortoise from a pet shop and yes I know I shouldn't have done but I was so surprised to see one and went and asked why it was for sale as I thought they were banned from being imported to the UK. I was told that only Mediterranean tortoises were banned and the one I purchased was a ?Horstfeld (not sure if that's spelt right) Apparently it comes from Afghanistan. I paid about a £100 and I've had it now for 7 years. I was very fortunate to have found an expert that lived locally and she'd converted her whole back garden and sheds to keeping tortoises that had been donated to her. Her problem was that they wouldn't stop breeding and she had so many teeny tiny tortoises but she refused to sell them. She would vet people and they had to have a pair. The local vets sought her advice and there was nothing she didn't know about tortoises. She advised us not to let our one hibernate as it was under 5 years old at the time and gave us loads of advice. She also told us that tortoises were still being imported but as they were harder to come by they were importing giant tortoises and selling them to the public when they were still young and she also had a few of them that had outgrown their owner's home.
I have to say our tortoise is lovely and his name is Albert. I know it sounds daft but he knows when we call him and plods over (they can move remarkably quick when you're not watching them). His favourite food is grape (no pipes) and dead nettle and cucumber.
In the last year I have seen more tortoises for sale than ever and I know several people who have bought tortoises. Whether these are imported or not I have no idea but they can be bred over here quite easily and as in the case of cockatiels, when Australia banned their export, people found that they would breed quite easily in the right conditions over here and the cockatiels, as far as I'm aware, being sold here are all homebred.
If what you say is correct, why would they keep wanting to import tortoises when they can be bred over here fairly easily and perhaps people selling them should give some sort of certificate of authentication that they are homegrown tortoises. I am sure most responsible people given the choice would rather buy a homegrown tortoise rather than a distressed one that's travelled many miles. Good luck with your campaign  |