Another reason not to buy pets as gifts

An article on AnimalPlanet.com tells of terrapins (small freshwater turtles) living in a pond in north London that have terrorized children by eating ducklings in front of the kids. These turtles were once palm-sized pets given to children during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze. Once they were no longer small and cute, they were released into the pond by families.

The turtles can grow to a foot long and are not natural to that part of the world. They can live for decades. They are eating food needed by other natural-habitat animals. The London Wildlife Trust is trying to capture them and relocate them to a sanctuary in Italy before it gets warm enough for them to reproduce. British waters used to be too cold for them to reproduce but global warming and climate changes have changed that. The Italian climate is supposed to be kinder to the turtles.

Please think twice before ever buying a pet due to a fad or a holiday (such as chicks on Easter). Once the novelty is worn off, the pets can suffer or bring suffering in ways unforeseen.