Mexico seizes 15,000 turtles, some of them endangered, bound for China
Approximately 6.5 million live turtles were exported from the U.S. between 2016 and 2019. Many species are sold in Asian food markets, while others become pets.
JADE BREMNER: An illegal shipment of 158 crates of live turtles, some endangered, was seized by Mexican authorities In outer Mexico City. The cargo was due to be delivered to China. More than 250 of the 15,000 turtles were found dead in the crates. Species included Mexican giant musk turtles, white-lipped turtles, narrow-bridged musk turtles and red-eared terrapin or red-eared slider turtles…
Rare varieties of turtle can reach $300 apiece, and the turtle smuggling trade is worth millions of dollars worldwide. Approximately 6.5 million live turtles were exported from the U.S. between 2016 and 2019. Many species are sold in Asian food markets, while others become pets. According to the Turtle Conservancy around half the species on earth will become extinct by the end of the century. Turtles are among the most vulnerable, as they don’t grow and reproduce as quickly…
The find comes among growing concerns about the delivery and consumption of exotic creatures and their possible transmission of the novel coronavirus. COVID-19 has been linked with bats, with the first identified cases tracked to a wet market with live animals in the city of Wuhan.
Scientific researchers at Shandong University in China recently took samples from more than 220 bats from caves in Yunnan province, finding a virus very similar in makeup to SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus). The researchers said: “Our paper shows very clearly that these events occur naturally in wildlife. This provides strong evidence against SARS-CoV-2 being a laboratory escape”. SOURCE…
RELATED VIDEO: