Posted on 08/07/2004 11:19:42 AM PDT by scouse
Killer terrapins terrorise ducklings - 07/08/2004 10:15:00 10:15
Killer terrapins dumped in a pond by former fans of the cartoon Teenage Mutant hero Turtles have been terrorising ducklings in a London park.
The 'monsters' are also behind a spate of other attacks on wildlife, maiming many mallards and fish.
Up to 25 of the adult reptiles have been terrorising Sheepwash Pond in The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, north west London, emerging from the pond to drag young birds beneath the water.
Wildlife experts are warning children not to dip their fingers in the pond as the terrapins have a strong bite capable of severing a finger, and could also be carrying diseases such as salmonella.
It is believed the red-eared terrapins may have been abandoned in the pond several years ago as the craze for the children's cartoon characters subsided. But they have since grown from the size of a 50p piece to that of the average dinner plate.
The alarm was raised after children at a playgroup in St Paul's Church overlooking the pond were left in tears after seeing the terrapins snatch ducklings and rip the legs off a mallard.
London Wildlife Trust Barnet Group co-ordinator Dianne Murphy said: "The terrapins have been introduced to the pond, they should not normally be there. They were very popular as pets at the height of the cartoon craze, but they are not so nice when they grow into adults and start to bite. They will also attack small fish and mallards so it is not a good idea to have them in the pond."
The reptiles are of either Italian, Spanish or North American origin and are similar in colour to a tortoise.
A Barnet Council spokesman said: "We would support London Wildlife Trust's suggestion of producing a management plan that focuses the efforts of the volunteers."
Fear the turtle!
They should be glad they don't have snapping turtles there. They'll take down a full grown goose.
Ping
whats a "teenage mutant HERO turtle?" man.......as a product of the 80s, that offends me! =P
Sheesh, sounds like they asked the question WWJFKD? ("What would John Forbes Kerry do?") What a bunch of freakin' buckpassers.
So9
Obviously they meant; "Ninja".
Catch the silly things and bring them to a herp show. The ducklings get to live, some reptile hobbyists get a new critter, everyone's happy.
About three or four years ago one of those tried to eat a golf ball of mine.
On a more positive note:
They taste just like chicken...
Oh. I thought maybe the college football season had started.
So did you take the penalty or play the ball?
The other members of my foursome allowed me to drop another ball without penalty...basically I cheated.
"On a more positive note:
They taste just like chicken..."
They may, but how can you tell? These days the chicken we buy no longer tastes like chicken, most folks don't know it because they haven't tasted real chicken in thirty years, if ever.
They're one of the easiest turtles to catch in live traps,so it shouldn't be hard to cut their numbers to an acceptable level.
I think I saw that movie back in '57
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