Prosecutors in Ecuador announced an investigation into the deaths of four giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands, who they believe might have been killed for their meat.
The slaughtered bodies of four giant tortoises were found on Isabela Island, the biggest island of the Galapagos. Hunting and killing wild animals is punishable by up to three years in Ecuador.
The State Attorney General’s Office said on Twitter it was investigating the “suspected hunting and killing of four giant tortoises in the Galapagos National Park wetland complex.” Autopsies are being carried out on the tortoises’ bodies.
The Galapagos Islands are known for their unique flora and fauna. It was once home to fifteen species of tortoises, three of which went extinct centuries ago, according to the Galapagos National Park.