Reserve staff from the Table Bay Nature Reserve discovered the 19 empty shells on Saturday morning, 1 November 2025. The tortoises were removed from their shells, indicating that they were shucked and harvested, possibly for meat or traditional use.
Also read: Kaapstad beplan vir besige November
‘This is a serious case of animal cruelty and a violation of environmental protection laws under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act and City of Cape Town by-laws. These beautiful creatures have been brutally killed, their shells broken open and discarded, and the internal organs and flesh removed,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
It is suspected that two men entered the reserve earlier that morning under the pretence of wanting to fish as they paid for this activity and had a fishing rod with them. Photographic evidence, as well as video footage of the suspects’ vehicle has been submitted to the local police, CapeNature, and the SPCA.
Reserve staff conduct regular patrols at all of our City nature reserves. We also request visitors to please report any suspicious activity or behaviour.
Also read: Kaapstad beplan vir besige November
