‘They’re resting!’ Tortoise traders explain why reptiles were not kept warm

A couple who sold endangered tortoises on Gumtree claimed they only kept them in cruel conditions because they were ‘hibernating’, a court heard today (Tues). Kamel Gadouchi, 44, is said to have imported six Spur Thighed tortoises from Algeria to the UK on or before 17 April 2015. He and his wife, 40-year-old Frederique Chasles, then kept the endangered animals in a box in their flat in White City, west London, without the UV light or heat they need to…