So, I was glad to read about the 1600 turtles that escaped a turtle farm in Georgia recently, probably not because of turtles-rights advocates but as a side effect of scrap-metal thieves' work. I feel sorry for the turtle farmer, but glad for the turtles -- some of whom wd have been sold to pet stores and others shipped to China (or Chinese markets) to be eaten.
The story got picked up by NPR and the associated press, mainly because people are tickled by the idea of so many of a traditionally slow animal successfully running away. They must never have had pet turtles: anyone who has can tell you they can put on a surprising burst of speed when they want to. My sister and I had a long string of miniature pet turtles when we were growing up, some of whom died and some of whom escaped at various times (e.g., when outside in their summer wading pool if a high wind whipped up and flipped it over), none of whom we ever recovered.*
So, let's hope these made good their escape and remain at large -- though it's certainly bad news for any tadpoles in the region, and might well cut down on the minnow population as well.
Here's a link.
And, just because it's pretty amazing to watch, here's some footage from another site (http://www.themarysue.com/1000-turtles-escape/) that shows a turtle deliberately pushing another, upended turtle back right-side-up again:
--John R.
current reading: WHERE THEY STAND by Rbt Merry (presidential rankings) & I THOUGHT OF DAISY by Edmund Wilson.
*I'd love to have a turtle now, but turtles and cats are a bad mix.
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