Two long-lost tortoises turn up in a Perth, Western Australia, backyard

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I was checking out news items and it seems a Perth, West Australian restaurant owner has been charged with possessing three rare Madagascan radiated tortoises. Although he wasn’t the thief the tortoises were stolen from the Perth Zoo. The Asian man had the first tortoise for about a week in 2016 but took it to the police when he realised it was stolen and was endangered. He had had the other two for seven years but had cared for them well. The two were microchipped and had been stolen in 2011. The article didn't say why he had kept the two and not handed them over as well. The Madagascan radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiate) is most abundant in southern Madagascar but has been introduced to Reunion Island and Mauritius. The oldest verified lifespan is 188 years. There are believed to be only 400 odd of these tortoises left in the wild, mainly due to habitat destruction and poaching. It has a high-domed carapace which grows up to 16 inches (41 cm) in length. The shell plates are dark with yellow lines radiating from the centre of each shell, thus giving it its name. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful of the tortoise types. It’s not long ago that a meerkat kitten was stolen from Perth Zoo. It would seem they need to increase their security measures. The photo is from Wikimedia and is in the public domain.