How often do we look at these turtles and ignore their very
being or tag them as “so cute” or for that matter misinterpret their very
identity as Malaysian turtles or Chinese turtles etc. As an exotics
veterinarian I have suddenly seen a sudden rise in the turtle trade. Earlier it
was the “Red eared Slider” or “Singapore Turtle” but in the last 3 years I am
seeing a lot of Indian turtles coming into the pet trade. People generally
bring them as pets for their children. Little do they know that the turtle
which costs Rs 500 requires a set up of Rs 5000!
Turtles are reptiles, basically poikilothermes or Cold
blooded animals. They may be able to withstand extremes of temperatures but
with these “wild” animals now being domesticated for their “goodluck” value are
vanishing with astonishing speed. Turtles unfortunately for them seem to appeal
to us humans in more than many ways. Not only can they be used for their meat
which is a delicacy in many parts of the world but their shell too can be
utilized in ornaments and other household items like cigarette trays to name
one. Due to their amazing lifespan people now want to own them as pets . They
believe the pet will outlive them! In addition they have now become good luck
charms as well. People find this pet convenient as it does not make a noise and
is low maintenance. With a busy lifestyle where both parents work to sustain a
family, the child needs a pet as company and what better way than to bring home
this.
The reasons as valid as they may sound to some, make me wonder
what we as parents are really teaching our children. We are going against our
system to keep these turtles. Ninety percent of people who purchase these
turtles know that they are banned according to the Indian Wildlife laws as no
Indian wild animal can be tamed and kept in captivity. But even then when
questioned if they know that this animal is banned by law will very sheepishly
smile and nod. Some appear shocked but don’t want to do anything about it. Only
two percent of the people will work towards release of the species.
Most people ask me why turtles are so difficult to keep. My
answer to that is the process which involves acquiring them to selling them to
you is so stressful that by the time a turtle comes to you it is sick due to
dehydration and starvation.
- The turtles are hatched in hatcheries after their eggs are stolen by the locals after raiding the nests.
- These turtles after they hatch are kept for a few days till their yolk sac gets absorbed. A yolk sac in turtles is similar to a yolk sac in a small chick. It is useful for them during the first few hours when they are defenseless and require strength and nourishment till they acclimatize to their surroundings and search for food. Some traders if they are greedy will cut the yolk sac out and ship the turtles as soon as possible for trade.
- These are then acquired by local dealers who will transport them by road to their destinations so that they are not caught. This involves putting them in ice to decrease their temperatures so that they don’t have to be fed for days together inadvertently forcing them into hibernation.
- When they reach their destination they are rudely dumped into water. This wakes them up and sets their stress levels high as they are suddenly woken up from hibernation. Ideally such small turtles never hibernate as they don’t have food reserves. From that moment on it’s the survival of the fittest. Lots of these little coin sized turtles die with the trader. The ones we pick up maybe healthy maybe not because we don’t know what the little ones have gone through.
I had a gemologist come to me once with her Indian Starback
tortoise which had a penile prolapsed for 3 days and had not seeked medical
attention for it, as she was busy with her work. When she arrived at the clinic
looking at the animal I questioned her about her knowledge of the turtle
species and she clearly said that she knew it was banned and that why she had
avoided going to a doctor lest there would be problems. She later went on to
tell me that she had numerous turtles and how they brought her good luck. On the other hand I had a small child walk in
with his grandfather with a flapshelled turtle . He had “rescued “ it from the
muddy bank of a stream as it was small and lost. After telling him that the
turtle was not lost and probably lived in that kind of a habitat the child felt
terrible and cried. He insisted on going and releasing him on the same bank.
Such are the two dramatically different banks of the human mind.
We talk about cruelty to dogs, cats and all other domestic
animals. Why when these animals are right in front of our eyes do we not speak
for them? These turtles may not be on
the endangered list but neither was the tiger fifty years ago. These beautiful
and prehistoric animals which now roam the earth may not even be available if
we don’t stop the exploitation right now. If the buying can the selling will. Let’s curb
our desires and let these animals roam free like they used to before we started
capitalizing on them. They belong to the wild let them be. Peaceful coexistence
that’s all!
I would like everyone to know which turtles and tortoise are
Indian and therefore illegal to keep. Please look at the common most turtles we
see in the pet trade and identify if your turtle is legal. Then locate your
nearest wildlife NGO’s which will happily take in these “pets” and release them
back into the wild among their own species where they actually deserve to be!
A) Indian Starback tortoise
B) Indian Roofed Turtle
C) Indian Circled Tent Terrapin
D) Indian Flap-shell turtle.
