Sulcatas being abandoned like crazy

Lavender said:

Hi,
I am trying to spread the news of many, many Sulcata/African Spurred Tortoises being abandoned here in HK. Most people just buy a baby, be interested on Day 1, then ignore it as soon as they lose interest. Sulcatas can be bought in pet stores for around HK$2000-$3000, and people don't care about the fact Sulcatas are a very large species of tortoise, they think the little thing they brought home was only the size of a table tennis ball and will not grow up to 30 inches. Not to mention that most of these people are not kids--Usually they are adults, and Sulcatas can live over 70 years old! They might need to surrender their pet to a shelter even if they don't abandon them.

So many Sulcata and Red-eared slider owners abandon their pets in the wild, as they grow 'much bigger than I expected'. Seriously, you can't expect a baby to stay the same size forever, right? Some people also 'mercy release' them due to some religion reasons, but that 'mercy release' is NOT merciful at all. All the things the 'mercy release' caused is harming the animal and the native species whom they will need to compete with for food, nesting sites, etc.

Please, if you live in HK, try adopt these sulcatas!

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jeff kushner said:

When ethics meets money in today's world, ethics has a really tough time winning. We shouldn't be surprised. Any species that traffics any animal or natural resource they can make money from, even including their own children in some cases.....

Maybe there's another way?

Over my lifetime which remains unremarkable, i have watched the liars, flimflams and scumballs infest every niche including the pet trade....they do have a common "kryptonite". They are attracted to money. They disappear when none is to be made. Hint hint!

Most folks who value money don't handle it well when it becomes apparent that they are part of the problem.

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The_Four_Toed_Edward said:

I think the sellers shouldn't sell a tortoise to anyone who doesn't even know the basics about the species aka how big they will get etc.

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Lavender said:

Exactly. Also, in HK most people live in small apartments, which means they have no space at all for these giant tortoises. I know 2 friends who live in houses but sadly they both have cats, which obviously cannot get along with tortoises

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The_Four_Toed_Edward said:

Here in Finland responsible animal breeders often sign an agreement where they promise to take the animal back in certain circumstances. This means that the breeder really needs to focus on finding the animals a good home with the long term picture in mind.

Overall I think the breeders also should take more responsibility, not just the buyers.

I suspect that in Hong Kong it is hard to re-home a tortoise when the owner can't take care of it anymore? Are there any sanctuaries or other options like that?

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Alice Sulcatia said:

The moment I saw the title, my blood started boiling, and I was ready to punch somebody! As common sense is not common, there should be laws about purchasing and selling LARGE tortoise species like Sulcatas so brain-dead people can't get them! (I have 6 Sulcata rescues, and we are together for life.) Like in rescues, we always make sure the person or family has the space and the means to properly take care of the animal. And that "mercy release" is such BS!!!

Did you know that shelters almost triple in intake during summer and fall? Because guess who got a puppy for Christmas??? Most people shouldn't have animals or children.

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Lavender said:

The animal shelters are very experienced with a ton of space for the tortoises, and some animal welfare organizations will adopt them, but yes, it is difficult for these abandoned tortoises to find new homes because of their size and the area limitations.

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Lavender said:

I agree! I was super mad to see the headline on the news being ‘Sulcata Tortoises abandoned’. By the way, I’d like to see pictures of your Sulcatas! How old are they?

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Alice Sulcatia said:

You can see our pictures in the media album if you go to my profile The six are ages 3-9 years.

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Lavender said:

I saw the photos. They are really cute!

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Lavender said:

Hi,
I am trying to spread the news of many, many Sulcata/African Spurred Tortoises being abandoned here in HK. Most people just buy a baby, be interested on Day 1, then ignore it as soon as they lose interest. Sulcatas can be bought in pet stores for around HK$2000-$3000, and people don't care about the fact Sulcatas are a very large species of tortoise, they think the little thing they brought home was only the size of a table tennis ball and will not grow up to 30 inches. Not to mention that most of these people are not kids--Usually they are adults, and Sulcatas can live over 70 years old! They might need to surrender their pet to a shelter even if they don't abandon them.

So many Sulcata and Red-eared slider owners abandon their pets in the wild, as they grow 'much bigger than I expected'. Seriously, you can't expect a baby to stay the same size forever, right? Some people also 'mercy release' them due to some religion reasons, but that 'mercy release' is NOT merciful at all. All the things the 'mercy release' caused is harming the animal and the native species whom they will need to compete with for food, nesting sites, etc.

Please, if you live in HK, try adopt these sulcatas!

Click to expand...