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Viva_La_Revolution

(28,791 posts)
Thu Jul 19, 2012, 01:07 PM Jul 2012

1600 turtles escape from Georgia farm

SUMMERVILLE, Ga., July 19 (UPI) -- A Georgia turtle farmer says vandals allowed about 1,600 turtles to escape his farm.

Turtle grower David Driver called police last week to report fences made from metal barn siding had been torn down around his turtle ponds, allowing the turtles to break free, The Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press reported Thursday.

"It's been going on all summer long," Driver said Wednesday. "There was about 2,200 [turtles] over there. We lost 1,600 of them."

Driver traps turtles and brings them to his property in Chattooga County, where he breeds them, then sells the baby turtles to either pet-growing operations in Florida or to people in China, where they are raised for food.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/07/19/1600-turtles-escape-from-Georgia-farm/UPI-50961342708254/#ixzz215alRTvO

FREE SPEEDY! (that was the name of every box turtle I caught as a kid)

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1600 turtles escape from Georgia farm (Original Post) Viva_La_Revolution Jul 2012 OP
Some of those box turtles can move fast! Curmudgeoness Jul 2012 #1
There's a tortoise and hare joke in here some where. nt Javaman Jul 2012 #2
Interesting - a story linked below that one is about illegal turtle sales csziggy Jul 2012 #3
"They won't get far" slampoet Aug 2012 #4
And....they're OFF!!!!! MADem Aug 2012 #5
Anyone else see the possibility of a remake of "The Great Escape" using turtles? Kaleva Aug 2012 #6
Chicken Run??? nt MADem Aug 2012 #7
"Stop them ! They're gradually getting away !" eppur_se_muova Aug 2012 #8

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
1. Some of those box turtles can move fast!
Thu Jul 19, 2012, 07:56 PM
Jul 2012

I have raised them for a headstarting program, and those buggers get around!

And...being a turtle lover, I am rooting for the people taking those fences down. If this guy is trapping them in the wild and keeping them captive just to sell the babies, I have no sympathy for him. We do not need to remove turtles from the wild for the pet trade, or worse.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
3. Interesting - a story linked below that one is about illegal turtle sales
Mon Jul 23, 2012, 10:56 PM
Jul 2012
Small turtles inappropriate pets for kids

Published: Feb. 2, 2012 at 11:39 PM

ATLANTA, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Turtles are not appropriate pets in households with young children or other high risk individuals, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

A report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said high risk individuals include pregnant women, older people and people with weak immune systems.

The report describes a U.S. outbreak of 132 human Salmonella infections between August 2010 and September 2011, associated with exposure to small turtles.

"Many of the infections occurred in young children. Salmonella infections in children may be severe and can result in hospitalization," the report said. "A 1975 federal prohibition against the sale of small turtles -- those with shell lengths less than 4 inches -- led to a substantial decline in human Salmonella infections. However, these infections continue to occur. Increasing enforcement of existing regulations against the sale of small turtles, increasing penalties for illegal sales, and enacting more state and local laws regulating the sale of small turtles can assist in decreasing infections from these reptiles."

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/02/02/Small-turtles-inappropriate-pets-for-kids/UPI-76911328243985/#ixzz21VMmdYuX

MADem

(135,425 posts)
5. And....they're OFF!!!!!
Tue Aug 7, 2012, 12:56 PM
Aug 2012

It was a scrap metal thief, apparently--if his fences had been made of plastic or wood, he'd have been ok...

Kaleva

(36,146 posts)
6. Anyone else see the possibility of a remake of "The Great Escape" using turtles?
Tue Aug 7, 2012, 02:23 PM
Aug 2012

The true story of how 1600 turtles held in captivity managed to make a run for freedom with the help of a sympathetic metal stealing outsider.

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