Leopard Tortoise (Stygmochelys pardalis). Picture: Johan Marais
The Johannesburg Zoo is one of the biggest leopard tortoise suppliers to South African wildlife traders for the international pet market, according to the Plundered report.
“The zoo sells mostly so-called ‘captive-bred’ tortoises, handed in by the public, who believe the zoo will care for the animals, to wildlife traders,” the report said.
The Johannesburg Zoo, the report states, sold more than 700 leopard tortoises last year to South African Venom Supplies, owned by Beric Muller.
“The terms and conditions of the permits issued by GDARD (Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) for the provincial export of tortoises from Gauteng to Limpopo, now state that these animals may not be exported internationally (this was not the case before 2019). However, there is no way to police this because the tortoises are not micro-chipped. They can be sold by one wildlife trader to another in SA, and tracing the animals becomes almost impossible.”
Muller, according to the report, paid a fine of R20 000 to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) in 2016 for attempting to illegally export 80 giant African bullfrogs and 150 rain frogs, which have never been successfully bred in captivity, to Taiwan for the pet and food market.
Johannesburg Zoo spokesperson Jenny Moodley said the not-for-profit organisation has noted the “inaccurate and reckless claim” by Ban Animal Trading movement BAT and EMS that there was a “sale” of reptiles by the zoo to the SA Venom Association.
“The Johannesburg Zoo did not sell its tortoises nor purchase any reptiles it acquired from SA Venom. The Johannesburg Zoo complied with permit requirements to relocate 400 specimens temporarily held at the Joburg Zoo that was confiscated by GDARD in 2019. Tortoises need to be provided with a high standard of animal husbandry and therefore only qualifying entities with the required legal permits issued by the relevant regulatory bodies, were involved in the relocation process.”
The report describes how leopard tortoises are “by far the species with the highest numbers of international exports from SA for the global pet trade”.
Mike Bester, cited in the report as a “notorious wildlife trader” among several other local and international traders listed, and who has long been involved in the tortoise trade, said hundreds of tortoises have been dropped off at zoos around South Africa over the past 20 years.
“Those animals may not be released by law. If they were not traded, they would be euthanised. To me, the trade is the second-best option to euthanising them.”
Bester, according to the report, exported more than 650 tortoises to a German breeder and online trader in tortoises, leopard tortoises to Togo, Ghana and Swaziland and to a wildlife dealer in the US, Nile crocodiles to South Korea, indigenous snakes to North Korea and exotic captive-bred snakes to Dubai and Malaysia. He imported wild-caught yellow-footed tortoises and wild-caught red-footed tortoises, and Mata Mata turtles from Guyana.
He said dealers in South Africa aware now questioning whether the permit information in the report was legally gained.
“If you’re a trader of animals in this country, the animal rights groups always say you are notorious. You’re never a trader, you’re also always a trafficker. It’s happened to me for the last 40 years. They’re against all trade, even pets.
“I’ve been very strict on selecting destinations over the years and have turned down many orders because of questionable destinations .... The trade in reptiles is highly regulated and everything is done on permits.”
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