8 of 30 stolen pet tortoises in Pingtung recovered: Police

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Police in Pingtung County have recovered eight of 30 stolen African spurred tortoises and continue to search for the remaining 22, a police officer said Tuesday.

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of theft after police received a report last Saturday that 30 African spurred tortoises raised in a breeding farm in the county's Changzhi Township had been stolen, each weighing around 20-30 kilograms, Chang Ching-hsiung (張清雄), head of a local police station, told reporters.

The police tracked down eight suspects and took them in for questioning on Monday.

Eight of the 30 tortoises were subsequently found at the home of one of the suspects, a 20-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉), according to Chang.

The case has been referred to the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office for further investigation, Liu added.

The African spurred tortoise, also called the sulcata tortoise, is an endangered species of tortoise native to the Sahara Desert region in Africa. They are a popular pet in Taiwan.

The police urged people engaged in raising high-value pets or special animals to install the right pet safety equipment at the breeding site, including monitoring devices, fences and access control facilities, together with regular inspections to reduce the risk of theft.