"Slow and steady" has always been the mantra of the fabled tortoise. But for one iconic tortoise, Madagascar's ploughshare or angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora), the race for survival can no longer be won slowly; without drastic action, this species will be extinct in the wild within two years.
The angonoka is an ancient tortoise species and Madagascar's largest land reptile. It has always had a small range restricted to a corner of the country no larger than greater Brussels. This was the first animal in Madagascar to have its entire range protected as a national park in 1997, which is a source of pride for Malagasy people.
However, the tortoise's beautiful and large golden-domed shell coupled with its rarity make it of intense interest to private collectors. It has never been available as part of the legal trade and so any animals held in private hands are illegal. But as with so many species of animal around the world, this hasn't stopped collectors from engaging in illegal activities to buy, steal or breed these animals.
Over the past 30 years, conservation efforts, led by the British charity Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Madagascan government, focused on protecting the tortoises in the wild, helping local communities and restoring tortoises back to the wild. It had all the hallmarks of successful conservation; a case study for how threatened species could be restored.
Sadly in the last five years, a massive surge in poaching and demand from private collectors, primarily in China and south-east Asia, has brought this species to the very edge of extinction. Individual adult tortoises are being traded for upwards of €27,000 each.
Drawn by these prices, poachers and traffickers are now numerous, armed, and well-funded. 2016 has been the worst year on record. The most current estimates indicate that there are probably fewer than one hundred adult angonoka tortoises left in the wild.
The angonoka is not alone in being a victim to the desires of collectors, and illegal trade has become a major global threat to wildlife worldwide. But species such as tortoises and turtles, as with other reptiles, are particularly prized for being more 'amenable' to being smuggled in luggage or freight.
Few smugglers are caught and convictions are rare and seldom meaningful. Given the high possible rewards and relatively risk-free environment, the poachers have good reason to continue hunting the animals until they are all gone.
As the international momentum to tackle wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade grows and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convenes its 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) this month in Johannesburg, the world has an opportunity to make a difference.
Strengthening the framework regulating international wildlife trade and tackling illegal trafficking will bring tangible benefits both for endangered species and for local people - including the ploughshare and the people of Madagascar.
The CoP17 will build upon recently adopted global commitments including the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the new EU action plan against wildlife trafficking.
The new measures and policies proposed include supporting local livelihoods, tackling enforcement deficits, reducing demand as well as fighting corruption.
The European Union and its 28 member states as key players must push for the adoption of the strong proposals and ensure that the high level of ambition of CoP17 is kept and translated into action on the ground.
With EU support, the CITES CoP can take decisions that will lead to improving customs services at the airports that serve as the exit points for this species and will help initiate new methods such as the use of sniffer dogs.
As part of a project funded by the UK government's Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, the CITES authorities of Madagascar and Durrell Trust supported a training workshop/partnership between UK Border Agency experts and their Malagasy counterparts. Though still in its infancy, this work shows promise.
Mechanisms implemented through CITES can dissuade future traffickers by increasing enforcement in the national parks and pursuing cases through the court system. As the angonoka example shows, countries need real law enforcement capacity at the park level, including professional security training and the use of tracker dogs.
Madagascar's beloved ploughshare tortoise is nearly gone, but it can be saved with strong, concerted action. As wildlife crime and illegal trade threaten not only biodiversity but also security, we hope that EU governments and other parties will take urgent action to prevent further illegal exploitation of all treasured species, including the angonoka tortoise.
In advance of the CITES CoP in Johannesburg, we call for the provision of necessary resources at all levels for this complex and crucial work and for a comprehensive approach to compliance, prevention and global cooperation.