A dead freshwater turtle with a name carved on its shell was found on a beach in Keelung, causing outrage among animal lovers.
A photograph of the turtle was posted on the Heping Island Park (和平島公園) Facebook page on Thursday after it was found at the city’s Alabao Bay (阿拉寶灣).
Chinese characters that read Hsieh Hsu Su-chu (謝許素珠), possibly a woman’s name, was carved on the turtle’s shell.
Photo copied by Lin Hsin-han, Taipei Times
“It was heartbreaking to see it, because we know that every stroke on the turtle’s shell must have caused it great pain,” the person who posted the image wrote. “A turtle’s shell is actually part of its skeletal system.”
All lives deserve better treatment, the post said, calling for more attention to the value and vulnerability of life.
Many Internet users left angry comments under the post, with some saying that a person who believes in the superstition that releasing an animal into the wild brings good karma might have done the carving.
While freshwater turtles are not a protected species, people who carve words on its shell could face a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000, according to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), Keelung Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office Director Chen Jui-pin (陳瑞濱) said on Friday.
People who plan to release aquatic animals into the wild should file an application with authorities 15 days in advance, North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Management Office Deputy Director Chin Yu-chen (金玉珍) said, adding that there are limitations on the type of species as well as time and location for their release.
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