Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered tortoises and lemurs home to Madagascar in a landmark victory against animal trafficking, with the first batch on its way on Saturday.

In a ceremony in Bangkok, Thai authorities transferred the 961 healthy animals over to members of the Malagasy Department of National Parks

Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered lemurs and tortoises back to their home in Madagascar, in what both countries called their biggest ever operation against wildlife trafficking.

Madagascar has launched an operation to repatriate more than 1,000 endangered lemurs and tortoises, seven months after Thai authorities seized them from wildlife traffickers. Officials are calling it the largest return of trafficked species in the island nation's history.

Thailand is sending almost 1,000 endangered lemurs and tortoises back to Madagascar after they were stolen as part of the illegal buying and selling of animals.