The magnificent reptiles were on the verge of extinction in Myanmar, but are now being reintroduced to the wild. Alice Klein joins the effort to save them

Burmese star tortoises fill every corner of the Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary breeding compound Alice Klein

I am in the Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary in central Myanmar, where an ambitious project is under way to return captive-bred, critically endangered Burmese star tortoises (Geochelone platynota) to their native habitat.

The unique creature came close to extinction in the wild in the early 2000s, because of illegal trading on the global exotic pet market.

My guide – Kalyar Platt from the Turtle Survival Alliance – explains how difficult the task is. This is a poor, rural region with dirt roads, skinny cows and palm-frond huts, and a single tortoise can fetch enough money to feed a family for a year if sold on the black market. Thieves can be jailed for seven years, but some people are desperate enough to take the risk.


A recently hatched tortoise, with its egg Alice Klein

Platt leads me around a prison-like compound where her team – in collaboration with Myanmar’s Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and the Wildlife Conservation Society – is breeding the tortoises. The high concrete walls are topped with razor wire, and three guards sleep in the compound at night to ward off intruders.

The team started in 2001 with 10 star tortoises that had been confiscated from poachers. They knew nothing about the biology of the species, but worked out how to breed the reptiles through trial and error, and now have 10,000 of them. The tortoises fill every corner of the compound, and I have to be careful not to step on them.

Slow release

Since 2013, the team has released 1000 of these animals into the dry, scrubby forest neighbouring the compound.

Today, I am joining them as they count and monitor the released tortoises – something they do once or twice a month. First, we have to put snake guards over our trousers, which fills me with anxiety. I am also warned to look out for poachers, who can be armed. Our accompanying guards carry large knives and slingshots, and have attack dogs by their sides.

The team at Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary Alice Klein

The yellow-patterned shells of the tortoises – which reach about 30 centimetres in length – provide camouflage against the tall, straw-like grass that they mostly feed on and can make them hard to spot. To locate them, we carry a radio transmitter that looks like a television aerial. It sends signals to receivers fitted to the tortoises’ backs, and beeps rapidly when one is nearby. The animals are also microchipped and tattooed so that individuals can be identified.

We walk for half an hour before we find our first tortoise. It’s monsoon season, so the air is hot and thick with humidity, and thorny bushes tear our clothes. Finally, the transmitter starts beeping faster, and we search the nearby grass.

Star tortoises are slow movers, so we find this one easily. Platt picks it up and identifies it with an electronic microchip reader, then weighs and measures it. She also checks that it has no injuries or signs of disease. This one is healthy, even if it looks fairly indignant about being disturbed.

Settling in

So far, the released tortoises are thriving in their natural habitat, Platt says. Their shells are bright and shiny and they look well-nourished.

Theft is still a problem, but only 188 of 1000 released tortoises have been stolen so far – a major success in Platt’s eyes. Most of these have been smuggled into Thailand, where they are advertised for US$5000 or more on Facebook pages catering to high-end pet collectors in the US, Europe and Asia. Myanmar police have so far traced and arrested seven thieves.

A baby tortoise, just hatched in captivity Alice Klein

Community involvement has been key to preventing tortoise theft, says Platt. Her team has run education programmes in nearby villages and recruited local people to help patrol the area and monitor the tortoises. The community now has a sense of ownership and investment in the project, she says.

We continue to chase tortoises late into the afternoon, before returning to base. But on the way back, there is a buzz of excitement. One of the rangers has found a one-day-old hatchling sunning itself on the side of the path. “If they are having babies, they are happy,” says Platt. It feels symbolic – a sign that this unique creature is returning to its homeland for good.