TWO smuggled rare Egyptian tortoises facing destruction in Australia have been saved by Chester Zoo, which already has seven of the reptiles.
They were seized by customs officers at Sydney Airport as it is illegal to take reptiles into Australia. If no home outside the country had been found, the tortoises would have been destroyed.
But officials at Chester Zoo came to the rescue. The zoo is already home to seven Egyptian tortoises which are on the brink of extinction in the wild.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article