A recent US Fish and Wildlife confiscation of box turtles being smuggled to China was estimated to be worth approximately $500,000 once they reached Chinese markets.
Where this was said
At 2:13:13 · chapter starts 2:10:50
Eric Goode has spent two decades trying to save the plowshare tortoise, an animal so rare and beautiful that specimens trade for up to $100,000 on the black market and poachers target even the defaced specimens his organization tried to protect by Dremeling identifying marks into their shells.[1] He did a 60 Minutes piece with Lesley Stahl, a New Yorker article, attempted anti-poaching programs including Dremeling to reduce black market value — and still watched the tortoise go functionally extinct in Madagascar, its only native habitat. Then, right as the documentary was wrapping, the team achieved what no institution in the Western world had managed: a successful captive hatchling. The birth made it into the series finale, providing a rare note of genuine hope in an otherwise relentlessly dark story. Eric is now working to return captive-bred specimens to Madagascar — a symbolic act he acknowledges will require ongoing anti-poaching security funding, and may only work long-term if the tortoise is made available through legal captive breeding to reduce black-market demand, drawing a direct analogy to drug legalization.
The illegal wildlife trade has flipped. Native American turtles — wood turtles, spotted turtles, box turtles — are now being collected across the Midwest and shipped to China and Taiwan, where they fetch thousands of dollars each as exotic pets. A recent confiscation was valued at half a million dollars once the turtles reached the Chinese market.
The United States has more species of turtles and tortoises than any other country in the world, with 51 species, making it a prime target for wildlife traffickers exporting to Asia.
Nick and his wife make nearly $95,000 a year but are broke and living paycheck to paycheck with $41K in debt.
Using wedding gift money to eliminate credit card debt is a fast, tangible first win for a couple starting their financial journey together.
Kevin Roose noted that Meta's $942 million New Mexico fine represents roughly 1.4 days' worth of Meta's revenue, calling it 'chump change' relative to the company's scale.
At 53 with $600K invested in good mutual funds, compound growth alone should produce over $2 million by retirement age 70.
A larger case in Oakland involving Meta and 4 states is seeking up to $1.4 trillion in damages — an amount that would be genuinely threatening to Meta's business.
A 19-year-old self-employed pressure washer earning $120K a year proves hustle and hard work can outpace formal education at a young age.
Failing to set aside about 25% of business profit for quarterly taxes is one of the most common and costly mistakes new self-employed workers make.
Nearly 4 in 5 airline miles earned on reward credit cards are never used, making 'miles hacking' a bad financial strategy for most people.
Earning six figures but carrying $58K in debt at 19 illustrates how a high income without a budget still produces financial chaos.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.