Tortoises For Sale In Sousse Medinas

by **djay** on Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:32 pm

whilst on holiday this month i was shocked to see them selling tortoises in sousse medina they tell you how to get them over to the uk and everything. they had about 20 in a small tomatoe crate with bits of lettuce and to be honest you want to buy one {as cheap as a tenner} just to get it away from there. i was tempted to buy one but i didnt know the consequences

by **HW Jan.C** on Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:43 pm

We were faced with the same thing last year at the airport,, PLEASE DO NOT BE TEMPTED.... you will be severely punished and taken to court. if your caught importing to the uk it could be jail. I myself have 2 tortoises which I bought here in the UK.. Import of ANY tortoise is illegal now, you can buy animals that have been born and raised in UK and even then you will be given a certificate saying they are UK born. Stress again PLEASE DONT TRY AND IMPORT THESE ANIMALS ILLEGALLY... Its people who feel sorry and try to bring them home that makes the trading of these animals profitable for the sellers in Tunisia and Turkey.so by buying one you are in fact encouraging illegal trading it defeats the object.
DONT DO IT. !!!!
jan

by **Sekhmet** on Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:42 pm

Haven't been to Tunisia since 2002, but prior to that we holidayed there 4 times.
From memory, we were told (soon after arrival) that we should report any sightings / trading of tortoises to the rep, initially.
I believe that the organisation called S.P.A.N.A is largely responsible for animal welfare over there as I've had dealings with them (productivly so) in regard to the stray cats around our hotel grounds. S.P.A.N.A is based in London; altho I don't have the website or contact details to hand, I'm sure they must be readily available thru google.

by **andy jarvis** on Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:11 pm

The sale of protected species or products from protected species is prevelant in many countries including those bordering the Med, Red Sea and the Caribean, don't just have a go at the Tunisians. If tourists didn't buy them there wouldn't be a market would there, the law is clear and there in black and white on your travel documents no excuses.

by **Essem** on Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:08 pm

I heard of one lady who tried to smuggle a tortoise into the UK for profit, was caught and she now has her passport stamped as an endangered species trafficker, had to pay a heavy fine and the tortoise has now been rehoused in the zoo. She was lucky she didn't face a prison sentence!

Tourists simply do not realise that by buying wildlife souvenirs, they may be reducing the numbers of a species already threatened with extinction. It's frightening to think what people will try to smuggle and the risks they'll put themselves - and others - through, to make money. It's very common to see wild tortoises strolling around in Tunisia and I'm told that they don't hibernate!