RARE tortoises rescued from illegal smugglers have been unveiled at Chester Zoo.

Part of a shipment of 13 the four rare ploughshare tortoises were handed to the zoo in 2012 after being confiscated by customs officials in Hong Kong in 2009.

Smuggled from their native Madagascar the quartet will form part of the European Breeding Programme for the species.

Experts from the zoo now want to help raise awareness of the plight of the species in the wild.

Poached to the point of extinction in the wild, the ploughshare tortoises are highly prized for their gold and black shells and fetch exceptionally high prices on the international black market.

It is estimated that there may only be up to 500 left in the wild.

Curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates Dr Gerardo Garcia said: “The ploughshare tortoise is iconic because of its beautiful shell but the species is under huge pressure for its survival.

“There’s a very real possibility the species could be lost forever due to illegal trafficking for the exotic pet trade. Most of these illegally exported tortoises are sold in markets in South East Asia.

“The United Nations estimates the illegal trade is worth billions of pounds each year and, despite efforts to crack down on it, it continues to grow. These tortoises are seen as the jewel in the crown of the reptile world. It’s very possible that, within the next two years, there will be none left in the wild because of this trade.

“Conservation has never been more critical. We can’t sit back and watch this important species simply disappear and our long-term ambition is to maintain a safety net population at the zoo.”