Endangered tortoise seized from WA home

A critically endangered swamp tortoise belonging to one of the world's rarest species has been seized from a Perth home by Parks and Wildlife officers after an unrelated police raid on the house.

The animal was identified as a male tortoise that was captive-bred at Perth Zoo in 1990 and is the most endangered species of Australian reptile.

The tortoise was released to Twin Swamps nature reserve in the mid 1990s and records show it lived there until December 2010, when its monitor stopped providing information.