539 Greek tortoises were confiscated by Customs on the Syrian-Jordanian border and were brought to the New Hope Centre (NHC) by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) on November 16, 2018. Unfortunately, 10 tortoises arrived dead due to the overcrowded conditions that they were smuggled in. It is often the case that smuggled animals are kept in cramped conditions in an attempt to increase the number of animals smuggled. It is important to note that the tortoises are very young, with some being newly hatched and only weigh 5 grams. They will remain at the NHC during the quarantine period, until they are strong and old enough to be released.
