Jersey conservation helps save rare tortoise

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has helped save one of the world's rarest tortoises, the Ploughshare

A Jersey conservation expert says its projects in Madagascar were a priority following a review of the country's biodiversity.

The study found it had lost more than three million years of evolutionary history because of species dying out.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has been working in the country since the 1980s.

CEO Dr Lesley Dickie said it helped save one of the world's rarest tortoises, but needed more support.

"We have a big breeding centre for Ploughshare in Madagascar so we do breed them.

"We also are protecting the National Park where they're found, and we're doing a lot of work trying to protect the habitat. We do anti-poaching patrols and we're also working with the government of Madagascar," she said.

Dr Dickie said it was doing what it could to stop more animals going extinct.

She said: "We're the protected area managers for thousands upon thousands of hectares and we have very specific species lead and community development projects in the country, precisely because Madagascar is so unique, and we will lose so much if we don't protect it."

The boss of Jersey Zoo says the projects in Madagascar are its priority, after researchers called for urgent action to save the animals there.

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