Tiny baby turtles that are found on the endangered list of reptiles were recently seized in Hong Kong right before they were to be boarded on an airplane bound for Indonesia. These unique turtles are distinguishable and highly priced because they have snouts like pigs.
The strange illegal trade goes through an arduous route beginning in Indonesia. The animals are then shipped to Hong Kong where they are either sold as pets or used for delicacies in specialty restaurants. Last week’s seizure was a huge number at 800 baby turtles packed into small boxes in the hopes of passing through customs undetected.
While Hong Kong authorities have excellent laws that deal with this kind of illegal activities, they could not find enough evidence to file criminal cases against anyone. They do know that these baby turtles are sold at extremely high prices either as eggs or young meat.
Carettochelys Insculpta or pig-nosed turtles are included in the international law against trading endangered species. They can be found in New Guinea and Australia’s fresh waters. They come from a long line of pig-nosed reptiles but are the only remaining living species.
As young turtles, they are cute and adorable, shy even. However, as soon they turn into adults, they become aggressive and mean predators. They will even attack their own species which can turn violent considering they can reach a maximum of 20 kilos as adults. Since they are difficult to confine as adult reptiles, there has not been much data on their life and behavior. Scientists have so far determined them to be territorial and have a tendency to be stressed which accounts for their aggressive behavior.
These aren’t the kind of turtles you can hold in captivity or keep as pets, although this appears to be the very reason why some people like to boast about having the pig-nosed turtle as a pet. In a way, it has become a status symbol peppered by the fact that they are also endangered, and therefore, hard to find.
Over the past 2 decades, this reptile has experienced a drop in its population by as much as 50%. Smugglers and poachers cannot be stopped even if the laws are in place. Sad, but it appears that smugglers may have more protection than these and other endangered species.
