Four Chinese nationals were arrested in Bikita, Zimbabwe, for capturing and killing 40 endangered tortoises for consumption, officials said.

In a joint raid by police, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and The Save Valley Conservancy Anti-Poaching Unit, 13 live tortoises were found in the home, kept in steel drums with no water or food. The BBC reported officials also found tortoise meat and the skeletal remains of 40 tortoises.

The acts are in clear violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The four men, who were found to be illegally employed in the country, are being held awaiting deportation, the Zimbabwe Herald reported.

They admitted to authorities they boiled the tortoises alive to separate the meat from the shells. (UPI)