Press Release
May 1, 2001
Giant Tortoises Overwhelm U.S. Rescues
North American Groups Call for a Stop on Sales
Malibu, CA and Owatonna, MN - May 1, 2001 - Turtle and tortoise
rehabilitation specialists, academicians, wildlife groups and rescue
organizations throughout North America are calling on the pet industry, reptile
wholesalers and private breeders to stop the sale of giant tortoises commonly
called sulcatas. The effort, spearheaded by American Tortoise Rescue in Malibu,
Calif. and Tortoise Trust USA in Owatonna, Minn., asks the public to support a
moratorium on purchasing these tortoises as hatchlings. Geochelone sulcata is a
hardy and personable species of tortoise. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, it
became part of the lucrative pet trade during the 1990s. It has an engaging
nature, is attractive and sells for a very low price. These traits make it the
most commonly purchased pet tortoise in North America. Unknown to the unwary
buyer, however, is that sulcatas are the third largest species of tortoise in
the world weighing over 200 pounds or more, attaining this size in a very short
period of time. Adult female sulcatas can easily produce 90 eggs a year. It is
not unusual to see hundreds of hatchlings for sale at reptile shows.
According to Darrell Senneke, director of Tortoise Trust USA, "New owners
quickly become aware of the difficulties associated with having a potentially
destructive non-housebroken animal of this size. A fully-grown sulcata can weigh
close to 200 pounds and can easily move a piano or walk through a typical house
or apartment wall." Senneke says that spurred tortoises grow rapidly, especially
in captivity when they are offered many times the amount of food they would
normally find in nature. It is not uncommon for a five year-old sulcata to weigh
30 pounds or more. At this point they are not even close to half grown and often
are already becoming a problem for the owner due to their amazing strength and
aggressive behavior.
Susan Tellem, who founded American Tortoise Rescue with her husband Marshall
Thompson, says, "Many owners assume that when the tortoise becomes a problem,
'zoos will take them.' This is simply not true. Zoos are not interested in cast-
off pets." Tellem says that the zoos, instead, refer people to her rescue. She
has taken in a dozen just this summer. Based on the number now being sold as
compared to just a few years ago this dozen is the first sprinkle in a coming
deluge. Tellem adds that some owners mistakenly think that they can sell the
huge animal for a large profit. "There is no market for adult sulcatas," Tellem
says. "The only options remaining are to dump the animal in the wild or to give
it up for adoption to a rescue group like ours."
Aside from the potential for a slow death by freezing or starving that "dumped"
sulcatas face, there are other problems. These include infection of native
wildlife with parasites and foreign diseases. This could result in the
eradication of already threatened native species. There is also the issue of
introduction of yet another non-native species into a precariously balanced
ecosystem. Senneke says that the option of placing the animal with a rescue
organization or rehabber sounds good to most overwhelmed owners.
Unfortunately, of those thousands of cute hatchlings that are sold every year,
rescue organizations can only take a few of them once they are huge. "Since the
sulcata can live 50 years or more, overcrowded rescues soon will run out of
space. Sadly, at that point euthanasia might be the only recourse," says
Senneke. Tellem says that the sale of sulcatas today is similar to the pet
trade's large scale sale of iguanas during the early to mid-90s. Many people
bought cute baby iguanas not realizing that they would grow to as much as six
feet and become aggressive.
Sulcata breeders create problems that other people have to solve." The pet
industry constantly looks for small, exotic animals with a big price tag,"
Tellem says. "We've conducted a survey of sulcata owners about what they were
told when they purchased their tortoises. Pet store or reptile show - the answer
is the same. 'It won't get bigger than its tank.' "Tellem and Senneke say that
breeders won't turn their backs on an obvious money making machine. "So what we
request is simply market driven economics. People shouldn't buy sulcatas. Pet
stores should stop selling them. Reptile shows must have a 'no sulcata' policy.
Only then will breeders have no choice but to stop breeding them," the pair
agrees. For more information, contact: American Tortoise Rescue at
800-938-3553. Tortoise Trust USA at
rednine@earthlink.net or 630-420-4642.
|
|
Alerts & Public Outreach
Chinese Market Update
Cool Turtle Items
Turtle Facts & Info.
Helpful Links & Information
Home |
