The Amazon Turtles Foundation in Peru received 2,500 rescued turtles on Wednesday (November 19) after wildlife authorities raided an illegal animal trafficking market in the city of Pucallpa. The operation occurred after authorities received an anonymous tip about the trafficking of yellow-spotted turtles, an endangered species found in tributaries and large lakes in the Amazon Basin. Staff from the foundation worked to classify the turtles according to their state of health and age. Marcial Pezo, executive director of Ucayali Forestry and Fauna said that locals wait for the turtle eggs to hatch before selling them to traffickers. "People from Pacaya-Samiria [nature reserve] wait for the eggs to hatch to be able to sell them to people who work in illegal trafficking," he said. Following a thorough health examination, foundation workers released close to 500 of the rescued turtles on the shore of Lago Pucuna. Olivia Canrads, director of the Amazon Turtles Foundation, said it wa... ( More) | 
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