A Florida snapping turtle recently left outside a Vaughan, Ont., zoo is the second case of reptile abandonment zoo officials have dealt with this year.
Reptilia Vaughan said in a Facebook post Friday that the turtle was abandoned in a bin outside its facility near Rutherford and Creditstone roads. A note identified the turtle as “Gilberto.”
It is now second reptile abandoned at its doors this year, the zoo said.
“Every week, Reptilia receives inquiries for aquatic turtles to be surrendered in our care and often, due to their long lives and solitary lifestyles, we must say no and point the owners to other resources and organizations,” the organization said.
“Leaving a reptile at our front door, subject to the elements does not change capacity, and only limits our abilities to help.”
The zoo added those who can’t care for an animal should call licensed rescues or professionals for help.
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It’s a statement echoed by Sue Carstairs, executive and medical director at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.
“The whole issue is with unwanted, what they considered pets, and then not knowing what to do with it,” she said.
Carstairs said the right thing to do is call local shelters to see who might be able to take the animal, or if they believe it’s a native animal to your region to call your local natural resources ministry.
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She added that people should avoid releasing the animal into the wild.
“I think a lot of times people aren’t meaning to do harm, they just get themselves in a situation inadvertently that is very difficult to get out of,” Carstairs said.
If people are thinking of having a turtle as a pet, Carstairs encouraged people to go to local shelters that specialize in “unwanted turtle species.”
—with files from Global News’ Catherine McDonald
What will happen to Gilberto? Thank you
To see that little box holding that poor guy absolutely cornered with no room to move just infuriates me , that heartless fool should be punished
Sorry, but people are just incredibly short-sighted when adopting a pet they cannot handle!