They had 185 turtles in a suitcase and I discovered them …

Representatives of the The ecological airport and the Galapagos National Park (PNG) found a suitcase with about 185 turtles, ten of whom died when they tried to expel them from the archipelago to the Ecuadorian mainland, Ecuador’s Environment Ministry reported.

“At the #Baltra airport, 185 newborn turtles in a suitcase that was transferred to mainland Ecuador, “the environmental authority posted on Twitter. The Galapagos Islands are located 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador and have unique flora and fauna.

The ministry clarified that the discovery took place “during a routine inspection” of the airport, and without providing further details, he warned that the police and the prosecution were “starting proceedings”.

The archipelago, which served as a natural laboratory for the English scientist Charles Darwin for his theory on the evolution of species, takes its name from the gigantic turtles that live there.

“The age of turtles does not exceed 3 months of life and their shell is extremely young” to determine which island they were taken to, the Galapagos Green Airport said in a statement.

Authorities have reported that turtles “They were wrapped in plastic, therefore 10 of them did not survive. “

Minister Marcelo Mata denounced in the same social network “these crimes against the fauna and the natural heritage of Ecuadorians”. The official added that he hopes that the events which take place in this ecosystem which is part of the biosphere reserve “will be punished in all rigor, in accordance with the regulations in force”.

So far, “there are no detainees”, according to the airport.

Illegal wildlife trafficking is a crime that contemplates prison from one to three years, according to Ecuadorian law. The giant tortoises arrived three to four million years ago in this volcanic region of the Pacific.

It is believed that sea currents scattered their specimens around the islands, and this is how they were created 15 different species – three of which are officially extinct -, each adapted to its territory.