As long as the tap is left running…

As long as the tap remains wide open with impulse purchases of small turtles that come from mega nurseries (farms) what we do with our turtle shelter is a drop in the ocean....

Because honestly, of every turtle that is sold? Who is going to take care of that for at least 40 years? I can tell you from experience that very few people do. To give an estimate, for every 100 turtles sold, there will be 1 owner who will keep them for a lifetime. Most turtles end up in the wild or in a shelter. That is why the most sold impulse turtle species are always banned. This has been happening since the 1960s.... In 1997, when too many red-winged whales were spotted in the wild, the red-winged whale was banned. At that time, yellow cheeks and yellow belly were the main products sold.... Since 2016, these species have been banned, again because they were frequently dumped in nature....

You understand this circle just continues to exist. Now that the widely sold species such as the yellow cheek and yellow belly are no longer allowed to be sold, they are switching back to other species. We had hoped that the Muskus would become the “new” trend, these remain relatively small and can be better kept. But unfortunately, there has been a trend toward species that can grow even larger than a Yellow-faced Whale. But why?

When you buy a turtle for 5 euros at a standard pet store or even a garden center, they of course earn virtually nothing on it. Just all the bells and whistles around it! Such as aquariums, pumps, lamps and food. However, when you sell a species that grows fast, people have to come back for bigger tanks, pumps and more and more food. You see, this is a good earning model. Smaller species, such as the Muskus, therefore yield less in the long term. So the whole story depends on the economic value. and that goes for animal welfare apparently. The government will therefore never ban this as there are far too many interests involved. It is therefore necessary to change course and inform society about this suffering that seems to have no end. Ultimately, it remains a circle of supply and demand that only the consumer can do something about! Remember that it is impossible to accommodate all orphaned turtles, so eventually there will be an Euthanasia obligation!

A total ban on turtles is not a realistic option. This would create a lot of illegality that is not visible. Better is education to beginners and the strong reduction of impulse purchases of many sold varieties. These are all turtles that are imported through large breeding farms with thousands per year. It is better to adopt a turtle through a shelter, a real reptile specialty store or a breeding association. It is important that growers have an UBN number so that you know that it also meets the requirements. These breeders can give better advice about keeping and further care of a turtle. They also have nothing to lose when people buy a turtle in an impulse. A good grower provides for this, asks the necessary questions and then does not sell. In addition, a good breeder will always offer the option of bringing a turtle back. The same also applies to shelter addresses. You can generally not buy young animals here, as shelters are not supposed to breed. If rescue centres do this, you should ask yourself if this is a correct organisation....

For now, it is important that we first address shops and / or chains which suffering is ultimately caused by the sale of impulse turtles. Shops and chains that cooperate are put in the spotlight. How and what will still be announced. The only advantage is that from June next year, it will be necessary to have the required diplomas to be allowed to work with certain animal species or sell them. Therefore, it is now time to address many shops at this time, especially on welfare, but certainly also now that legal requirements are set.

Do you know of any shops or large retail chains that sell turtles and tortoises, or have since stopped doing so?

We will then send them information by mail in a friendly way. In the hope that this will lead to greater awareness and eventually stop the impulse purchase of common turtle species.