Suitcase full of endangered baby land turtles discovered at airport on Galapagos Islands
A suitcase filled with nearly 200 endangered baby land turtles has been discovered at an airport on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands.
Authorities were shocked to uncover 185 of the reptiles, individually wrapped in plastic, inside luggage on Santa Cruz island on Sunday.
The babies were less than three months old, officials said.
Jorge Rosillo, manager of Galapagos Ecological Airport, said that it was believed the turtles were intended to be shipped to Guayaquil Airport on mainland Ecuador for the "trafficking of species."
He added that the species were "really sought after in the Asian market."
Ten of the baby turtles had died, while the surviving ones were placed in the care of a team from the Galapagos National Park.