The deaths of four giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands are being investigated amid suspicions that they were hunted and killed.
The investigation was announced by Ecuador’s state attorney general’s office, which said it was trying to establish the truth about what happened to the creatures.
The killing of endangered species has been illegal for nearly a century, but it has been reported that several species have been hunted in the past 20 years.
Read more:
This is the lustful tortoise that saved its species
The state attorney general’s office said on Twitter a unit dedicated to fighting environmental crimes had begun proceedings and was taking statements from park officials.
There are 13 species of Galapagos tortoises alive and they have the longest lifespans in the animal kingdom, averaging over 100 years.
The oldest tree on record is 175 years old.
It is not known what species of turtle the four dead people belonged to.
