29/10/2026
๐๐๐ช ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง, ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐ข๐จ๐๐ - Enforcing the law is not optional, it is essential if we are serious about protecting South Africaโs wildlife ๐ข
Every day, social media is filled with posts from organisations and individuals showcasing the confiscation of tortoises that were illegally kept, most of them found in poor and neglectful conditions. While these efforts are commendable and many animals are undoubtedly saved from suffering, an important question remains: ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ?
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
๐ข Simply confiscating a tortoise that is being kept unlawfully is not enough if no further action is taken.
๐ข By removing a tortoise from an illegal situation may provide immediate relief for that individual animal, but without proper legal follow-through, the root of the problem remains unchanged.
๐ข If no charges are laid or consequences enforced, offenders are unlikely to change their behaviour. In many cases, they simply acquire another tortoise, continuing the same cycle of neglect and illegal possession.
๐ข When laws are not enforced properly, it sends the wrong message to the public, that these offences are minor or carry no real consequences.
๐ข This undermines conservation efforts and weakens respect for environmental legislation.
๐ข Consistent enforcement reinforces the seriousness of wildlife crime and builds a culture of responsibility and respect.
๐จ It is important to understand that tortoises has spesific needs and providing them with the bare minimum is not enough and in most cases, even that minimum is not met. And when tortoises are found being illegally kept with NO access to clean water, fresh natural vegetation, and proper exposure to sunlight, it is not just irresponsible, it is being neglected and the law needs to be enforced.
๐ฃ Keeping a tortoise under these conditions is not care, it is slow harm. These animals are built to roam, forage, and regulate their own exposure to the sun in the wild. Confinement strips them of this natural behaviour and replaces it with stress, improper diet, and environmental deprivation. Over time, what may appear to be a โharmlessโ act of keeping a tortoise becomes a life-threatening situation for the animal.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ณ๐ญ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ'๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ:
It is important for the public to understand that it is a criminal offense to inflict unnecessary suffering to tortoises through abuse, neglect, or poor conditions.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ (๐ณ๐ญ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ):
๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐: Includes beating, torturing, overloading, confining, chaining, or tethering unnecessarily.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ & ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฐ๐: Covers abandoning, starving, failing to provide water/food, or withholding veterinary care.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: Prohibits poisoning, keeping in dirty/parasitic conditions, and killing in a cruel manner.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ (๐๐ด๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐
๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ):
โชRemoving tortoises from the wild, keeping them as pets, or transporting them without the necessary permits is illegal in South Africa.
โชBut beyond the legal aspect, there is a moral responsibility. Wildlife belongs in the wild, where it has access to the conditions it needs to survive and thrive.
โชIf we are to break the cycle of illegal possession, we must move beyond simply removing animals and start addressing the human behaviour behind it. Holding offenders accountable is not about punishment alone, it is about protecting species, preserving ecosystems, and ensuring that future generations can experience South Africaโs rich natural heritage.
โชReal conservation requires more than good intentions. It requires action, consistency, and the courage to enforce the law when it matters most - "There is NO beauty in STOLEN freedom and every tortoise matters" ๐ข
Wildlife Crime Information Network (WCIN) is urgently appealing to organisations, conservation authorities, and law enforcement agencies to please enforce the law, do not stop at confiscation. Confiscation alone does not address the root of the problem. It does not dismantle the behaviour, the mindset, or the illegal networks that allow wildlife crimes to continue.
If you know or suspect that someone is removing, keeping, advertising or selling tortoises illegally, ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐ง โ
Report ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ Crimes via our ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ก๐: Whatsapp or call: 079 643 9556 or email [email protected] (all information provided will be treated as confidential).
*Try and provide WCIN with the following info:
๐ Address (street name, house no etc)
๐ท Photo or video (if possible)
๐ Location of house (pin dropped)
๐ฒ Advert (link or screenshots)
โImportantโIf you have an unwanted tortoise ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฆ releasing an unwanted tortoise back into the wild is also illegal, many released tortoises do not survive and have the ability to transmit disease to local wildlife.
Let's share intelligence and work together to
๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฃ Wildlife Crime & Trafficking
๐ท: This leopard tortoise was found in the backyard of a tradisional healer, suffering from restricted movement, lack of proper food, no access to fresh water - (photo: WCIN).
