OMG!! I have seen it all now!!!! Live Turtles to Die in Keyrings??

[Kalina]

Its hard to look at that small, innocent Brazilian turtle, knowing that soon it will die and they will buy more and this is the new craze in China, so soon thousands will be dying.
http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/3/ban-live-animals-as-key-rings/

 

[pdrobber]

what the heck...how are they even surviving as long as they do? and then what happens after they die? you carry around a dead turtle? I don't get it at ALL.

 

[dmmj]

While I find this disgusting, who are we to tell the chinese people what to do?

 

[Skyler Nell]

my heart just broke

 

[Angi]

Awful!

 

[Torty Mom]

Ugh, I'm not looking. How could anyone think that something like that is ok.

 

[Angi]

Racheal,
How do you know it is fake? I so hope you are right!

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Racheal,
How do you know it is fake? I so hope you are right!

 

[Kalina]

Is it fake?

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Ugh, I am scared to look but it sounds awful. The pic of the tortoise in the market has given me nightmares so I can't risk it. Please tell me this is fake!

 

[Kalina]

Found this, it's a message board discussing them http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=203171

Here's something else about them http://deep717.blogspot.com/2011/03/live-fish-turtle-key-rings.html

I think it may be true :-(

 

[ChiKat]

Unlike the Bonsai kitten, I've actually heard that this is real, unfortunately.
Has anyone read anything about it being fake? I can't find anything on Google, and I checked out Snopes but didn't see anything there either. I've read comments on websites where people say it has to be fake, but no one seems to know for sure.

On street corners and near subway entrances in China, you can pay a few yuan to pick up a keychain souvenir filled with dyed water and a live animal like a fish or tiny turtle.

Keychains claim to be filled with dyed “nutrient rich” water to help extend the life of the tiny creature inside. The pouch that the animals live in is totally sealed so eventually the animal will die from a lack of oxygen of food but reportedly, the animal can live for several months.

In China they also sell live crabs in vending machines, so I guess it's possible

eta: Is it a RES? I know those are popular in Chinatown

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

When I googled it I could only find blogs discussing it and not a single company selling them. In addition to that there is not a sinle new's story about it. So I think and I hope it is fake.

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I checked snopes and I googled it and could not find a single reputable news story on it. In addition to that I could not find any for sale. So I think (mainly hope) that this is fake!

 

[Laura]

there were petitions for Bonzai kittens too.. but this actaully appears like it cold be real... like Gold fish in the heels of shoes...
hmmm...

 

[Kalina]

That's crazy!!! I want to buy them all and free them.... I was hoping it was fake, but i can't find anything to clarify... I signed the petition anyway.

 

[ChiKat]

I checked snopes and I googled it and could not find a single reputable news story on it. In addition to that I could not find any for sale. So I think (mainly hope) that this is fake!

I hope so too!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Consider this...it takes how long before the manufacterer gets the keyrings to the salesmen at the various salespots (at least a few days), yet the turtle is still alive at that point?

How long can a turtle live w/ no fresh air? I'm guessing a couple of hours...

Hoax, folks.

 

[albert]

They wouldn't make things like this if sickening people didn't buy them. Some people have no soul.

 

[Angi]

If it is fake.
What kind of sick person makes this stuff up?

 

[Angi]

If it is fake.
What kind of sick person makes this stuff up?

 

[Madkins007]

There does not seem to be a lot of hard facts on this.

Evidence for a fake would be that there seem to be only a few photos of it, that the animals would probably not survive the process and shipping to even get sold, that the wastes they produce would make the water they are in very cloudy very quickly, and how do you ship turtles like this without drowning them? Plus the comment about calling what look to be Red-ear Sliders 'Brazilian turtles'.

However, people have done stupider, more foolish things. If it IS real, I bet it is a real short-lived fad. Most of us here are too young to remember the Red-ear pet turtle flurry of the 60's in the US- but talk about systematic cruelty! It looked all cute and pretty to pet buyers, but underneath the surface it was pretty gruesome. You can try to argue that we did not know any better, but that is not true either.

At one point in the mid-60's, when the risks of Salmonellosis were already well-known, some marketers came up with semi-sealed habitats- a shoebox-sized cage with a slow-release block of food and a sealed lid. It would let the animal live happily for its entire life- which most dealers told you was only about 9 months for a species that SHOULD live 20+ years with decent cares.

Now- my 2 cents worth...

1. Internet petitions- go ahead if it makes you feel good, but there is not a lot of evidence they accomplish anything useful, especially in this sort of situation.

2. Getting upset at something happening on a fairly small scale fairly far away bothers me. For most of us, there is suffering and need on our own block or just down the street. If the issue REALLY bothers you, do something about it that is meaningful, helpful, and ideally, local (or, start locally, then help globally).

That is- there is not a ton you can do that is helpful for some poor turtles in China, but there is probably something you can do to help turtles in your town. Same for homelessness, hunger, or almost any other issue.

Such is MY take, but differences in opinion are what add spice to the world.