# looking for A. YNIPHORA (Plougshare tortoises)



## Hyazintharar (Jul 28, 2012)

We - the Swiss "Turtoise survival foundation" is on the way to constitute a breeding group of about 8-10 Yniphora (it does not matter, if you can provide hatchlings, juveniles or subadult/adult tortoises), but important is, that you are leagally in the possession of these turtoises and you have the nessesary US documents. 
(As the A. Yniphora is listed on CITES Apendix 1). When you have got these ducuments, so you can apply to an export permit, as we are a non profit organisation who cares for the reaserch und reproduction of highly endareged tortoises. And if you have the export permit, we can apply (and get) a CITES Import permit for Switzerland. The "sending" will not be the problem, as we comme personally -wherever in the word - to pick the tortoises.


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## JeffG (Jul 28, 2012)

I wish you the best of luck with your project, but I can't imagine that there is anyone in the U.S. with any ploughshares that would be willing to ship them out of the U.S. We just barely got a good group going here at the Behler Chelonian Center. Any other animals that are here (like Mr. Zovikian's) will most likely go to that project.


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## AustinASU (Jul 28, 2012)

Number one fix the English, as many people are going to assume like I am right now that this is a scam.


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## mctlong (Jul 28, 2012)

AustinASU said:


> Number one fix the English, as many people are going to assume like I am right now that this is a scam.



Agree.


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## Hyazintharar (Jul 28, 2012)

JeffG said:


> I wish you the best of luck with your project, but I can't imagine that there is anyone in the U.S. with any ploughshares that would be willing to ship them out of the U.S. We just barely got a good group going here at the Behler Chelonian Center. Any other animals that are here (like Mr. Zovikian's) will most likely go to that project.



YES, I know about the new arrtivals at the Behler CHELONIAN Center and I wish them good luck from all my heart; and also I know that the chance is not really big to finde e seller in the U.S. But no try, no chance.
As we know, that these turtoises become older than their owner, it can happen, that someone, e.g. by health reason , is not unhappy if his Yniphoras find a good place and he find good money...



mctlong said:


> AustinASU said:
> 
> 
> > Number one fix the English, as many people are going to assume like I am right now that this is a scam.
> ...



Sorry about my english - but here in Switzerland we speak first german, than italian and then french and at least (we try) to speak and write english.

But it is not at all a scam.......


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Jul 28, 2012)

Good luck on your search!! Hope you have the success with these as you do the Platynota!


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## yagyujubei (Jul 28, 2012)

So you're saying that everyone outside of the US is a criminal?


AustinASU said:


> Number one fix the English, as many people are going to assume like I am right now that this is a scam.


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## EricIvins (Jul 28, 2012)

AustinASU said:


> Number one fix the English, as many people are going to assume like I am right now that this is a scam.



Yeah dude, wrong thing to say........Just because you had a typical run in with a Cameroon scammer doesn't mean everyone out of the US is going to try and scam you.........This trade is world wide, and English isn't everyones first language......


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## mctlong (Jul 28, 2012)

Its fantastic that you're breeding these animals. There aren't enough in the world. Plough shares are such beautiful animals. Gorgeous!  

Does your organization have a website? 

I'm just a little bit confused. Are you looking for donations? Are you buying animals? Are you selling animals? What are the primary goals of your organization?


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## AustinASU (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm just saying if he plans on trading he needs to fix the English, if he gets the chance to get one from a zoo they will want a well written letter before even considering. I mean not to put the guy down at all but I'm trying to help him out at having a fair chance to get one of the worlds most protected tortoises.


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## mctlong (Jul 28, 2012)

AustinASU said:


> I'm just saying if he plans on trading he needs to fix the English, if he gets the chance to get one from a zoo they will want a well written letter before even considering. I mean not to put the guy down at all but I'm trying to help him out at having a fair chance to get one of the worlds most protected tortoises.



Your concerns are warranted.


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## Hyazintharar (Jul 29, 2012)

AustinASU said:


> I'm just saying if he plans on trading he needs to fix the English, if he gets the chance to get one from a zoo they will want a well written letter before even considering. I mean not to put the guy down at all but I'm trying to help him out at having a fair chance to get one of the worlds most protected tortoises.


I am not offended (or to be honest, no more ), even if the way you expressed yourself did not seem to me was in intention to really help me. Whenever you come to Switzerland, you are really welcome. I will show you our country and Europe (Do not be afraid, that you do not will understand the people here, they will do great efforts to speak your language (English) and not their own).
That you can find me on your travel, I do not hide my identity. Look please at the register of the management bord:
www.ergolz-klinik.ch -or google: Prof. Tibor Somlo
I hoenestly hope you come and see me to be my guest !
Regards Tibor






mctlong said:


> Its fantastic that you're breeding these animals. There aren't enough in the world. Plough shares are such beautiful animals. Gorgeous!
> 
> Does your organization have a website?
> 
> I'm just a little bit confused. Are you looking for donations? Are you buying animals? Are you selling animals? What are the primary goals of your organization?



Our TURTOISE SURVIVAL FOUNDATION (TSF) in Switzerland is founded recently with the aim to help protecting the vulnerable species of tropical tortoises by leagal breeding (and maybe once to bring offsprings back to their natural habitat. But this gives only sence, when in these countries like Myanmar (Burma) and Mozambique - once so we hope - people stop to destroy the natural habitat of the tortoises, stop eating and poaching tehm. In the meantime me want to save treasure of the genetics of these tortoisees by studying them, breeding them, and producing a lot of offsprings.
We also want to give these tortoises meanwhile a new home as temporary refugees here in Switzerland. We are not dealing with tortoises, whenever it can be once necessary to give a surplus of offsprings in good other hands. Our foundation want to prevent for endangered species of tortoise the same destiny as lonesome George had.
We had some great donators who help to reach our goals. The goal is to give back some little bit, what we as mankind have stolen from the tortoises. We have no commercial interests and do not take donations from unknown people.
We are looking to buy A. Yniphora's as we need a breeding stock.
We have no website yet, as our foundation is at the moment at the governement for recognition and acceptation as a non profit foundation.
As soon we have from the Swiss governement the support and recognition as a charitble trust we will make our website.
Who ever can support us to built up our breeding-stock of A. Yniphora
is very wellcome to support our help to the "tortoises in trouble".
Tibor Somlo 
Founding member of the TSF


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## tortadise (Jul 29, 2012)

Tibo
I wish you the best of luck. my organization has gotten the same approval through USFW to aquire ploughshares, however the difficult part is finding legally captive animals. Here im the us you can only get them if your already approved for the endangered species permit they are under. Have documented proof that the animals came from captive lines, which means they have to be at least seco.d generation captive. Even the adults have to be captive. And lastly cannot be purchased. So its almost impoosible to aquire here. Typically the way organizations aquire the like us, is to get inspected by your national wildlife organization as an approved confiscation organization. 

Usually animals as endangered as the yniphora that are caught trying to be imported will not be sent back and transfered to apporved confiscation facilities. Most the time they are zoos or places like behler. But ive come close to having some in this manor.

Not sure how switzerland runa things through a wildlife management program but I would try that.

Good luck


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## Hyazintharar (Jul 29, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Tibo
> I wish you the best of luck. my organization has gotten the same approval through USFW to aquire ploughshares, however the difficult part is finding legally captive animals. Here im the us you can only get them if your already approved for the endangered species permit they are under. Have documented proof that the animals came from captive lines, which means they have to be at least seco.d generation captive. Even the adults have to be captive. And lastly cannot be purchased. So its almost impoosible to aquire here. Typically the way organizations aquire the like us, is to get inspected by your national wildlife organization as an approved confiscation organization.
> 
> Usually animals as endangered as the yniphora that are caught trying to be imported will not be sent back and transfered to apporved confiscation facilities. Most the time they are zoos or places like behler. But ive come close to having some in this manor.
> ...



In Switzerland it works more or less the same way as in the U.S. We have aproved confiscation centers and we are in touch with them. As smugglers take their way mostly to Asia and very seldom to Switzerland, the chance to get a breeding stock of A. Yniphora through Swiss confiscation facilities, is almost zero.
Maybe some Zoo's or other wildlife protecting organisations - not actively going public - have leagal offsprings. May hope is, to finde them by this way.......
Where hope is - sometimes there is a way ...


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