Home / Arts and Entertainment / Wildlife Agent's Secret: Endangered Tortoise Hoard Revealed
Wildlife Agent's Secret: Endangered Tortoise Hoard Revealed
4 Sep
Summary
- Docuseries reveals Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking runs network from Malaysia.
- Wildlife agent Ken McCloud secretly kept world's most endangered tortoise.
- Eric Goode, conservationist, hopes stolen tortoise aids species survival.
The docuseries "Monsters of God" concludes by delving into the illicit exotic reptile trade. One focus is Anson Wong, a figure described as the "Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking," who allegedly manages a large-scale smuggling operation from Malaysia, exploiting the country's lenient wildlife laws. Eric Goode, the series creator, conducted an interview with Wong.
A significant revelation occurs when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent Ken McCloud is shown to be harboring a ploughshare tortoise, one of the world's most endangered species with only about 100 remaining in the wild. Goode documented McCloud's possession of the tortoise using a hidden camera due to McCloud's extreme protectiveness.
Goode, a dedicated turtle conservationist and U.S. Studbook Keeper for ploughshare tortoises, expressed his concerns about McCloud's solitary confinement of the animal. He hopes the tortoise can be integrated into a breeding program to help bolster the species. This situation underscores that even those enforcing the law can have questionable practices regarding wildlife.
