The Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota), is a critically endangered species native to Burma It is used for meat and traditional medicines in Asia and is highly sought after for the international pet trade, with collectors in Europe and North America willing to pay thousands of dollars for an individual. There are concerns that there may now be no viable wild populations. Commercial harvest and trade of this species is illegal under Burmese law, although export of captive specimens is permitted from one facility within the country, which also contributes to a future release program

Photograph: Minden Pictures/Corbis