Corpses of ten rare tortoises found dumped in woods

A man has appeared in court after the corpses of ten rare tortoises worth up to £10,000 each were found dumped in the woods.

The first two Aldabra giant tortoise bodies were found in Ashclyst Forest, Devon on January 8 and a further five were recovered nearby on January 12. A further two were found in the same area in February.

Gary Priddle, 56, has been accused of two counts - one for dropping litter and a second of failing to care for the animals.

He will face charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

One charge states: 'Between 29 December 2023 and 2 January 2024 at Exeter in the county of Devon threw down, dropped or otherwise deposited litter, namely ten deceased Aldabra tortoises and left it in East Devon, a place to which section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 applied. Contrary to section 87(1) and (5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.'

The second charge states: 'Between 23 and 29 December 2023 at Exeter in the county of Devon did not take such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which you were responsible, namely ten Aldabra tortoises, were met to the extent required by good practice in that due to not checking on the daily welfare and heating system relating to their care which failed and led to the animals' death. Contrary to section 9 and 32(2) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.'

Devon and Cornwall Police has been working with the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the RSPCA on the investigation.

The RSPCA revealed that the tortoises were found with their legs spread back against their shells and their heads outstretched and limp.

Although there are an estimated 400,000 pet tortoises of all species in the UK, the Aldabra is rare, with only some 400 thought to live in Europe.

Along with the more famous Galapagos, it is one of just two giant tortoise species left in the world. Male Aldabras grow up to 1.2m in length, weigh a quarter of a ton and can live to the age of 200.

Unesco estimates that about 150,000 Aldabras still roam wild in their natural habitat — the Aldabra atoll, part of the Seychelles, north of Madagascar. But due to their tiny geographical range and the difficulty breeding them (never achieved in Europe), the Aldabra is classified as 'vulnerable'.

Keepers should typically have an inside pen kept at a constant 32c, complete with UV lighting — both mercury lamps and UVB fluorescent tubes — which provide Vitamin D, as well as a 'fogging system' to keep humidity at roughly 60 per cent.

But Aldabras also need plenty of outdoor space, ideally with a pool of water — they are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to half an hour.