Officials make disturbing discovery in bus luggage compartment after receiving anonymous tip: 'Every day, similar consignments are transported along this route'

A raid on a bus in Bangladesh revealed just how deep the freshwater turtle trade goes.

Last December, Bangladeshi wildlife inspectors found two crates of turtles stowed away in a bus luggage compartment thanks to an anonymous tip, according to Mongabay. 

The bus driver, Siddikul Islam, told Mongabay, "Every day, similar consignments are transported along this route." 

What's happening?

The bus was just the start of the story. That same month, Bangladesh's Forest Department carried out several raids on suspected smuggling locations, aided by locals who tipped off authorities. 

Most notably, they discovered over 1,000 live turtles in a storage warehouse. The turtles all belonged to three species protected under Bangladeshi law: the Indian roofed turtle, the Indian eyed turtle, and the Indian flapshell turtle.

According to Mongabay, turtle trading was banned in the country in 1998, though that hasn't stopped smugglers. Experts suspect that the turtles are being used for meat and/or turned into trinkets.

This, combined with habitat loss, has put the turtles in a precarious position. Sanaullah Patwary, director of the Forest Department's Wildlife Crime Control Unit, told Mongabay, "We need support from civic groups to stop turtle smuggling. Otherwise, these species will become extinct."

Why do these turtles matter?

These freshwater turtles are a vital part of their ecosystems. According to Re: Wild, "Tortoises and freshwater turtles are important seed and spore dispersers for many plants, trees and fungi." Without them, the ecosystem becomes unbalanced, which threatens other species in turn.

This may sound like it has nothing to do with humans, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The World Wildlife Fund states that "environmental goods and services" (like medicine, food, fresh water, fuel, etc.) are worth over $30 trillion. 

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When ecosystems collapse, humans' access to clean, healthy food and water becomes more and more limited. Though the turtles are just one piece of the puzzle, every creature plays an irreplaceable part on Earth.

What's being done about it?

All across the world, people are doing what they can to keep endangered species and their ecosystems alive. Bangladeshi authorities, committed to conservation, are continuing to crack down on turtle smugglers. 

In California, the bighorn sheep population recently stabilized. Though only time will tell if the species can fully bounce back, conservationists report that this is a good sign. 

And in Tristan da Cunha, a South Atlantic archipelago, the future of a yellow finch called the Wilkins' bunting is looking bright thanks to creative conservation methods.

Relatively small efforts like planting a native lawn or reducing your everyday plastic usage can help your local ecosystem and keep endangered and vulnerable species — like Bangladesh's freshwater turtles — alive and well.

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