Chennai: The theft of the Aldabra giant tortoise is said to have taken place in mid-November; case filed.
Hyderabad:
An Aldabra giant tortoise, the second largest in the world and estimated to be worth more than 10 lakh rupees on the international market, has disappeared from Crocodile Park in Mahabalipuram, 35 miles south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Although the theft took place six weeks ago at the Madras Crocodile Bank Herpetology Trust Center, it appears that it has only now been made public.
Police, who have filed a case and are investigating the theft, suspect that it is an “inside job”. Members of the park staff have been questioned, police said.
Local police inspector Vel Murugan said the theft is suspected to have taken place on the middle night of November 11-12 and appears to be “well planned” as the defendant avoided being caught by any surveillance cameras in the vicinity.
“There was no CCTV near the giant tortoise enclosure, but we detected activity outside the park in the middle of the night. We suspect that the thieves escaped with the animal down East Coast Road. We are working on some leads. I suspect there could be involvement from inside information, “Senior Police Officer E Sundaravathanam told NDTV, adding that a special team is investigating the case.
Among the hundreds of reptiles, including turtles and crocodiles, in the park, the one that disappeared was among the park’s four Aldabra giant tortoises, scientifically identified as Aldabrachelys Gigantea.
Aldabra tortoises are second only to the Galapagos in size. They are among the longest-lived animals on Earth with a lifespan of up to 150 years, they can grow more than 1.5 meters long and weigh up to 200 kg.
The one who has disappeared from the Madras crocodile park possibly weighed between 80 and 100 kg and was only 50 years old, police said, adding that it could have been stolen for possible medical benefits attributed to the animal’s body parts.
The director of the crocodile park was not available for comment. So far no such incident has been reported in the park.
Interestingly, the park’s social media page uses the image of one of its giant Aldabra tortoises to greet wildlife enthusiasts and their fans with a Merry Christmas.
In 2000, a young Sakhi tigress was killed and skinned inside her enclosure at the Hyderabad Zoo while 13 other tigers watched and roared.
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