The New England Aquarium was part of a rescue team that aided the recovery of nearly 100 Eastern box turtles that were attempted to be smuggled out of the U.S. and into Asia over the summer.

Even the common box turtle, one of the most widespread North American species, is now listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

About 100 box turtles that suffered a variety of illnesses amid a smuggling case are on the mend. It’s thanks to the New England Aquarium, with help from Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, as well as ...

Left: The turtle pictured here was confiscated and has been living at the aquarium since the 1990’s. Right: Tropical corals are very popular with aquariasts in the U.S.

Since August of last year, the network has helped place more than 1,300 animals at zoos, aquariums and conservancies in the region. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has taken in 500 ...

A common box turtle slow-steps onto a two-lane byway, carrying the weight of its ornate shell and a bounty on its head. In recent decades, the box turtle has become one of North America's most ...

Estimates of its value range from $7-23 billion annually. Ryan Kellman / NPR The 40-some box turtles have a more immediate problem. They’re evidence of a crime and its victims.