MOROCCO
Continued trade in the Spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca has sharply reduced the number of these creatures (by 86 per cent) in the country. Morocco has been the major supplier of these reptiles to the European pet market. Its exports peaked during the '50s and ' 60s, when several million tortoises were exported from the region. Even though Morocco banned the export in 1975, many instances of their trade have been recorded. The species is categorised as "vulnerable" by IUCN, the inter- natinal nature conservation body. But trade in the species within Morocco is still legal. A number of souvenirs are made out of the carapaces of the tortoises. According to residents of Adagir, a major tourist resort, once a dozen tortoises from the nearby Ademine forest could be observed in a few hours but it was now difficult to observe as many during one week of intensive searching.
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