Stowaway Turtles Found In Smugglers Luggage

Two suitcases stuffed with almost 1,500 live pig-turtles were found at an Indonesian airport Wednesday.

According to the wildlife group, “TRAFFIC” the turtles were heading to Jakarta, the heart of Indonesia’s animal black market for sale. The stowaway reptiles will be sent back to their homeland in the easternmost Papua New Guinea.

These turtles, which are sometimes forced to become meals, are a constantly under threat in Indonesia. The biggest threats they face come from the illegal animal trafficking, commercial fishing and other hunting.

While it is illegal to export these turtles from Indonesia, smugglers have found various means to still ship them out in large numbers. Many can be found in the pet markets of East Asia and are buried, hidden in the shipments of fish.

Pig-nosed turtles can be found in freshwater streams, lagoons and rivers of Australia and Papua New Guinea.