Endangered freshwater turtle found at Changi Beach

SINGAPORE – It was a fish out of water, or rather, a turtle in the soup.

Children collecting trash at the beach were thrilled to discover a turtle on the shores of Changi Beach on Jan 22.

But instead of its ocean-faring cousin, the reptile was a pig-nosed turtle far from its freshwater habitat. 

The soft-shelled reptile is likely a victim of the illegal pet trade, turtle expert Rushan Abdul Rahman told The Straits Times. A non-native species, it might have been trafficked into Singapore, and later abandoned.

Both the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said they were not alerted about the pig-nosed turtle, and its fate is unclear.

Teaching assistant Iman Friday, who was at the beach with a group of primary school pupils, said he was alerted to the turtle by their excited screams. He assumed that the turtle’s presence was a natural occurrence and left it alone as the children went about a beach clean-up. 

He discovered this was not the case only after forwarding the photo to The Straits Times.

While the pig-nosed turtles’ flippers resemble those of marine turtles, they originate from freshwater habitats across northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Often part of the illegal wildlife trade, they are not allowed as pets in Singapore. 

The pig-nosed turtle is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which monitors the extinction risk of biological species. It is also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The reptile’s listing on Appendix II of CITES signifies that trading of pig-nosed turtles is closely monitored. 

Yet they are popular in the exotic pet trade because of their unique appearance, despite being territorial and aggressive and able to grow quite large – up to about 70cm in shell length.

Since 2009,

ACRES has rescued at least 30 pig-nosed turtles across Singapore

, with some found at other beaches such as East Coast Park.

As freshwater turtles lack the mechanisms marine animals have to keep water inside their bodies, they can get dehydrated when placed in marine environments, Mr Rushan told The Straits Times.

“If you’ve ever salt-dried any meat for a long enough time, moisture from inside the meat gets drawn out, leaving you dry, salted meat,” said the PhD candidate in turtle ecology at James Cook University (Australia).

“Owners might not be aware of how big these creatures can get,” he added. “Reptiles don’t stop growing, so owners may not have the right space to take care of them, which often leads to abandonment.”

Looking at a photograph of the abandoned turtle, Mr Rushan pointed out that a concave portion in the shell indicated the turtle might have been kept in a container it had outgrown.

“Turtles with carapaces (shells) curved like that usually do that when the tank they are in is too small but they can’t grow outwards anymore, so it (the shell) bends and curves,” he explained.

Under the Wildlife Act, it is illegal to release animals into the wild, and those caught doing so could be fined up to $5,000. It is also an offence under the Wildlife Act to take or keep any wildlife without approval. Offenders could be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.

The public can call the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Hotline on 9783-7782 if they find a wild animal in distress. They can also contact the NParks’ Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600 for reports of wildlife in distress, or any inquiries and feedback on animal-related matters.

Correction note: The relevant penalties for the release of wildlife and information on NParks’ Animal Response Centre hotline have been updated in this version of the story.