Three people, residing in Trexenta, reported for having sold online specimens of Testudo hermanni and Testudo marginata , terrestrial turtles protected by international CITES legislation.

The discovery was made by the Cagliari Forestry Corps , with the agents who, having found the announcement on the web, pretended to want to buy the specimens, thus tracing the seller and the other two people involved in the crime.

A fine of 15,000 euros was imposed on the three for illegal possession and marketing of protected animal species.

The turtles - 8 specimens - were instead seized and delivered to the Wildlife Recovery Center of the Forestas Agency in Monastir, which will assess the state of health before reintroducing it into the wild.

"Due to the practice of taming wild species - explains a note from the Forestry -, land turtles in the wild are currently rare, with serious damage to ecosystems and biodiversity, so much so that it has been necessary to introduce protection regulations, both national and international markets, also to counteract the related commercialisation".

The Forestry Corps "recommends avoiding taking turtles from their natural environment to preserve the biodiversity of ecosystems and to avoid incurring heavy penalties".

(Unioneonline/lf)

© Riproduzione riservata