Radiated Tortoise Rescue

Denver Zoo's Sean Ploysa, a carpenter in the maintenance department, and Max Maloney, a keeper and reptile expert in Tropical Discovery, just returned from Madagascar where they utilized their respective skills to aid in the rescue efforts of nearly 11,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises that were discovered by local police. The tortoises were most like collected for sale on the illegal pet market in Southeast Asia. The Madagascan government was in dire need of assistance to triage and care for the tortoises, and called upon Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) for help. Although TSA manages several rescue centers in Madagascar, they needed additional aid to save and rehabilitate such an enormous number of animals, and reached out to fellow Association of Zoos & Aquarium (AZA) members to join the rescue mission.