It appears you can add turtles and tortoises to a growing list of endangered species. In some parts of the world, the overfishing and hunting of whales, dolphins and bluefin tuna for food or "research" has raised fears of potential extinction if these activities continue. Now the Wildlife Conservation Society says illegal pet trade and the consumption of the turtles and tortoises in Madagascar are threatening the reptiles' existence.

"Five of the nine assessed species (of turtles and tortoise) have been downgraded to critically endangered, with one variety -- the ploughshare tortoise -- now numbering only a few hundred individuals," a WCS statement issued on Thursday said."Ploughshare, spider and flat-tailed tortoises, along with juvenile radiated tortoises, are particularly coveted by collectors," it said.

"Meanwhile adult radiated tortoises are sold for food in regional markets," it added.

Some attendees at a recent WCS workshop hope to form a "tortoise brigade" to combat illegal trade and help return captured tortoises to their natural environment, ideally in areas where the population of the creatures has signifcantly decreased.

It's sad when the situation has become so dire that turtles and tortoises require their own little army of protectors. Unfortunately if this follows the same pattern of the endangered bluefin tuna, the threat of extinction won't make a lick of difference to those acquiring the reptiles illegally and the species will have to rely on voluntary action for any chance of survival.

» Reuters Environment