On the verge of losing one

The striking looking fellow at left Astrochelys (Geochelone) irradiata, the radiated tortoise. They're native to southern Madagascar, and are generally considered to be one of the most handsome of the tortoises. They're also one of the most endangered. A new report from conservation groups reports that, due to widespread hunting for meat and illegal trading for pets, the radiated may be extinct in 20 years. The team, after extensive field work, reports that areas that once teemed with tortoises now harbor few or none. Locals shared reports of poachers carrying truckloads to local markets. Perhaps most troubling is that poachers are apparently entering protected areas in search of the tortoises, and that the understaffed refugues are helpless to prevent them.