Chennai Airport Customs Foil Smuggling Attempt, Recover 1364 Live Star Tortoises

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On January 4 (Tuesday), Chennai Air Cargo Customs officers intercepted a consignment suspected to contain wildlife species at the air cargo export shed located in Meenambakkam near Chennai airport. Sources say the consignment was destined for Malaysia.

21 out of the 23 families who had sought for patta will get lands inside the ATR as an alternative for their traditional settlement namely ‘Kallarukudi’ which was destroyed in a landslide in August 2019.
The alternative land Theppakulamedu is in the core area of the tiger reserve, around 15 km away from the hill town of Valparai.
On the shipping bill, the goods were declared as 230 kilos of live crab. The subject shipment was Risk Management System (RMS) facilitated, which means it was not meant for examination.
The Air Cargo Intelligence officers intervened and examined the cargo. They found that 7 out of 13 packages contained a total of 1,364 live Indian star tortoises.
After the examination of shipment, the live star tortoises were handed over to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for rehabilitation in their natural habitat.

Indian Star Tortoises

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Geochelone elegans

The Indian star tortoise, a threatened species of tortoise found in dry areas and scrub forest in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
This species is quite popular in the exotic pet trade, which is the main reason it is endangered.
Indian star tortoises are easily recognizable by their beautifully star-patterned shells.
Typically shy and small, relative to other tortoises, they prefer natural sunlight and life outdoors but can adapt to indoor living with adequate heat, lighting, and humidity.
If their environment isn’t right, they are prone to illness. These tortoises are pretty to look at, not big on handling, and are difficult pets to keep.
Unlike some other tortoise species, star tortoises are not territorial.
The Indian star tortoise was upgraded to CITES Appendix I in 2019 (threatened with extinction) by full consensus among all member states (of CoP18 with 183 countries), giving it the highest level of international protection from commercial trade.
They are protected under the Schedule-1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Under the IUCN list, it is listed as critically endangered.
These tortoises prefer the outdoors and need ultraviolet rays provided by the sunlight. If kept indoors, tortoises need UVB lighting.
UVB helps the tortoise process vitamin D3, which affects calcium absorption. Inadequate UV exposure can lead to metabolic bone disease.

Star tortoises are herbivores. Give plenty of fresh and dark leafy greens and grasses. Timothy hay, Bermuda grass, orchard grass, ryegrass, alfalfa, and fescue are all acceptable.
In the wild, the Indian star tortoise lives from 30 to almost 80 years. However, captive tortoises survive for less than 25 years. This was discovered after the unveiling of massive pet trade operations across the world. Therefore, it is not a good idea to keep them in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

If chosen by a female of the species, then the male will breed with her to reproduce. Sometimes, captive-bred tortoises are also born.
They are born of eggs laid after breeding by the female Indian star tortoise. The female of the species is also significantly larger than the male which helps them lay eggs easily.

Are they poisonous?

The Indian star tortoises are very docile, harmless, and in general very gentle creatures who just like to spend their days waddling in a swamp and sleeping off their time.
They have no poison in them, and it is perfectly safe to be with them. But they have a very sharp bite that can leave you with one finger less than what you came with.

Question:
Which of the following reasons affects the food production?
[A] Use of Organic manures
[B] Use of Modern Technologies
[C] Due to increase in pests
[D] Due to reduction in pollution