An abandoned 85kg alligator snapping turtle found eating fish in a Hong Kong pond has prompted animal rights activists to demand a list of approved pets and tougher penalties for releasing animals into the wild. Experts say the discovery highlights the city's lag in biosecurity measures. The turtle, now named Yoshi, has been transferred to a community education base.
Animal rights activists in Hong Kong have called for tougher animal welfare laws following the discovery of an abandoned 85kg (187lbs) alligator snapping turtle eating fish in a New Territories pond. The find underscores how the city has fallen behind in biosecurity, according to experts.
Bon Chan Chung-pong, founder of Turtle’s Inn, said he received a call that the alligator snapping turtle had been caught by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in Tai Sang Wai, Yuen Long, on January 13. Farmers had reported a mysterious decline in pond fish numbers, with some bitten in half. The metre-long (3.3 feet) turtle was found when the pond was drained, prompting residents to alert police and department officers.
Chan, who has worked with turtles for three decades, negotiated to take the turtle into his care instead of euthanising it. Named Yoshi, it is now at Sai Kung Turtle’s Inn Community Education Base.
Activists urged authorities to create a list of approved pets, microchip turtles sold to the public, impose stricter penalties for releasing pets into the wild, and update the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance before advancing a 'pet-friendly' society. The alligator snapping turtle is listed under CITES Appendix II, regulated by international trade conventions. This incident highlights the ecological risks of pet abandonment, with calls for stronger enforcement to curb invasive species.