Illegal demand for its shell, and for its eggs, meat and even stuffed juveniles as exotic gifts, have led to the dramatic decline of this species over the last century.

Another challenge is to ensure that the huge demand for wood for reconstruction does not trigger over-harvesting and illegal logging of forests in the affected countries.

But poaching is also problematic, with most of the demand coming from practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and the illegal trade of pelts and bones.