2011年8月1日星期一

Terrapin haven in Tuscany for reptiles UK rescued is ruined and saturation

Red-eared terrapinsThousands of Red ears turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is left loose in waterways UK later that the NInja turtle craze faded. Photography: Blickwinkel/Alamy

Apparently the perfect solution for the problem of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello. Thousands of Red ears terrapins had been dumped in waterways in Great Britain in the early 1990s, after being acquired as pets during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze.

Rather than let them devour native animals, including fish, newts, gallinetas and ducklings, a terrapin charity paid more than 800 to fly abroad to start a new life in Italy.

The terrapins took up his residence in an idyllic place, a sanctuary in Massa Marittima, 90 km south of Pisa. However, after the eviction of hundreds of rescued reptiles sanctuary manager last year are dead or dying, while dozens more of the non-native animals have escaped in the Tuscan countryside, according to local experts from people and terrapin.

The European Centre for the conservation or the Italian sanctuary, known as Carapax, Chelonian and run by Donato Ballasina, the director drew funds of charitable organizations throughout Europe. Received £ 25 for each terrapin and other chelonian not native sent to the Centre.

"" This was a consignment of animals to death: in Lagos were not suitable for the purpose, "said Tom Langton, an independent ecologist who researched the project."Animals were underfed and dying with the disease. "All this is strange and worrying."

In Britain, there are more than 2,000 terrapins remain at liberty in the waterways in the area of London itself only. Many are dinner plate red size ears terrapins (Trachemys scripta elegans), also called regulators, that were discarded by their loving owners of Ninja turtle. Terrapins ears red now will ban the sale in Great Britain, but many fans have switched to other similar species.

In 2007, the authority of the city of London had captured rogue terrapins ponds park in the capital and, along with other organizations and individuals, joined the British Chelonia Group.

BCG supported the expatriation of the terrapins to the Tuscan shrine, which was presented as a home for life, where the creatures could swim in Lakes fed by current heated by volcanic rock. The sanctuary also stated to be "hermetically sealed" so that they could escape and begin terrorizing native species not terrapins red ears.

Almost immediately, the received BCG tests that the terrapins are killed because they were too small ponds of the sanctuary and fencing was not secure. But the charity said it sent people to verify the conditions of the animals and did not find any problem, so it remains at the bottom of the part of the project.

"It all sounded too good to be true and went," said Paul Eversfield, a former member of BCG, referring to his visit to the shrine in the autumn of 2007.

Eversfield said found a muddy pond statements with terrapins with no filtration and fencing across that could easily escape the creatures. He said he warned the BCG in the situation.

Don Freeman, President of BCG, said the Eversfield conclusions were not ignored. "When sent us people to take a look, which had been sent terrapins, including were satisfied with what you found". According to Freeman was difficult to prove that the terrapins had escaped because the terrapins ears are red because they were in general in Tuscany before the shrine was built.

"The problems are none of us." It was a matter of Ballasina tenure and that's all, he added Freeman." "What can we do about another organization?" There is nothing. It depends on them. "The book is closed."

A former employee of Carapax said the sanctuary "lost control" of their animals and "the turtles shed in streams, ponds and rivers," creating air pollution.

After a legal battle with the local landowner, Ballasina was evicted from the site for violating the terms of their lease of the last year. The native tortoises and turtles were seized by the Italian authorities but non-native terrapins were in place and Italian courts allowed access from Ballasina to feed the animals. Ballasina could not be to put the allegations you.

In a letter purporting to be the Belgian charity based on the International Foundation of the frog, the Ballasina-defunct Carapax project group, a representative accused "local mafia" to force the Tuscan Center to close, claimed reports of infections from salmonella at the site were invented and called for more money to pay for feed "8,000 turtles" is still there.

Freeman confirmed the BCG yet it was funding the feeding of the terrapins stopped at the shrine's charitable donations, but stressed that the money: 180 € (£ 157) a week according to BCG Web site - will no longer be Ballasina or Carapax.

The Italian authorities appointed under Zuffi, of the Museum of national history at the University of Pisa, to oversee the abandoned shrine. According to Zuffi shrine became overcrowded because he was incapable of refusing requests to help the terrapins Ballasina. "Should not have accepted many people from other countries, or the United Kingdom", said Zuffi. "It was not able to say 'no'." Observers who regularly visited the site said that 1,500 remaining terrapins were so "pretty bad", he said.

"Animals are evidentially very distressed." They reach the shore with their mouths open in search of food. "It is a sign of animals in a very bad state".

Eversfield said that the remaining terrapins were a dilemma for all parties involved. "The solution to this is very uncomfortable."The site should be we indignaríamos and we have to pick up animals and humanly to destroy them, he suggested.

Zuffi, euthanasia was not a solution. "If the public is to kill hundreds and hundreds of sliders that it is likely he [say] stopped legal at all levels." "They want to protect your pets and regulators are considered pets."

He said that the terrapins could be repatriated to their countries of origin, including United Kingdom (some are micro chips), or centres of insurance. But he said there was no timetable to clean the sanctuary.


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