How many of you have reared or are still rearing red-eared sliders? We often hear tales of people letting them out freely in the wild when they are too big and this is actually detrimental to our ecosystem!
As these animals are not native to our ecosystem, they can cause harm to our native wildlife. This does not only apply to animals but plants & microorganisms too! So, don’t be releasing animals any which way you want like this person.
Kebodohan hari ini, alligator snapping turtle kau lepas kt tasik awam, bodohnyer la, arapaima pun kau lepas haihh. pic.twitter.com/Sb1UxvA4J2
— apai othman (@apaiothmn) October 1, 2019
In a tweet that has gone viral on Twitter, a bunch of elderly men and women were seen releasing an alligator snapping turtle into the Putrajaya lake. Yes, this turtle.
Imagine if someone accidentally fell in the lake and this turtle was nearby? *shudders*
So, why did this bunch of elderly people release a snapping turtle in the wild? Apparently, it is for good fortune.
Source: Twitter
This caused chaos on the wildlife activist side of Twitterverse with many people saying that invasive species should never be introduced into our ecosystems as there may be ramifications that are harmful to our native flora and fauna. For example, the introduction of cane toads into Australia created an epidemic as the poisonous amphibians have no natural predators there – which explains why they’re so strict about what you bring in.
Source: Twitter
So, if we are currently rearing an invasive species right now, what do we do?
Source: Twitter
We would also like to suggest going to your local vets and asking them for advice on what to do!
The Putrajaya Corporation has now responded to the thread and they are investigating this matter!
So what do you guys think about this? Tell us in the comments!
Also read: Perhilitan Killed 2,981 Tiny Turtles They Seized From Two Tourists at KLIA2, Here’s Why
