Nearly 1,000 "highly endangered" animals are heading back home to Madagascar, thanks to what CNN calls the "largest ever" repatriation initiative between the African nation and Thailand. The news outlet reports that an anti-trafficking police raid in May in the Thai province of Chumphon turned up 1,117 tortoises and lemurs, eight of which were found deceased. The spider tortoises, radiated tortoises, and brown and ring-tailed lemurs discovered during the police operation are all included on the "most endangered" list under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
AFP reports that 16 of the ring-tailed lemurs headed home on Sunday, arriving in the Madagascar capital of Antananarivo. More than two dozen brown lemurs are set to be sent to the East African nation over the next week or so, to be followed eventually by the 900-plus tortoises, for a total of 963 animals. They will be quarantined and examined by vets before being sent back into their "natural habitats," per Madagascar's Ministry of Environment.
AFP notes that Thailand is a big "transit hub" for animal smugglers who try to hawk exotic creatures in places like China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The country also happens to be the largest legal importer and exporter of CITES-labeled species native to Madagascar. Chalermchai Sri-on, Thailand's environmental minister, calls the repatriation a "significant step" in cutting down on wildlife trafficking. His Madagascar counterpart, Max Andonirina Fontaine, adds, "When two countries really collaborate together, we can really make a success story." (More endangered species stories.)
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