Rare albino terrapins rescued from waters off West Coast Park; ACRES warns saltwater can kill罕见的白化龟从西海岸公园附近水域获救；ACRES警告：海水可能致命
Five rare albino red-eared slider terrapins have been rescued after being found near seawater at West Coast Park on Sept 27.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said it was alerted to the incident at about 11am after members of the public alerted its Wildlife Rescue Hotline.ACRES added that the terrapins were generally healthy, but...
Five rare albino red-eared slider terrapins have been rescued after being found near seawater at West Coast Park on Sept 27.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said it was alerted to the incident at about 11am after members of the public alerted its Wildlife Rescue Hotline.
ACRES added that the terrapins were generally healthy, but were found with old lesions, shell damage, healed ulcers and a broken nail.
"They are not adapted to living in seawater. If left in the sea, prolonged exposure to salt water can cause severe dehydration and eventually death," said the animal welfare group.
Although ACRES said it does not typically rescue or take in red-eared slider terrapins, it intervened in this case to secure the animals and prevent further harm and suffering.
The terrapins have since been determined to be healthy, and ACRES is currently seeking adopters for them.
Public urged not to release unwanted pets
ACRES said red-eared sliders should not be released into Singapore's natural environment when owners can no longer care for them. Instead, owners should seek appropriate help or rehoming options.
"As pets, they may not have the ability to survive independently in the environment, and releasing them can expose them to injury, starvation and other risks," it said.
ACRES added that abandoning such animals is also illegal in Singapore under the Wildlife Act , with those convicted facing a fine of up to S$5,000.
AsiaOne has reached out to NParks for comment.
xingying.koh@asiaone.com
9月27日，五只罕见的白化红耳龟在西海岸公园附近的海水中被发现后获救。
针对AsiaOne的询问，动物关注研究与教育协会（ACRES）表示，上午11点左右，有公众拨打其野生动物救援热线，该协会才得知此事。
ACRES补充说，这些龟总体上都很健康，但发现它们身上有旧伤、龟壳损坏、愈合的溃疡和断趾甲。
“它们不适应海水生活。如果被留在海里，长时间接触盐水会导致严重脱水，最终导致死亡，”动物福利组织表示。
尽管 ACRES 表示他们通常不会救助或接收红耳龟，但在此案中他们进行了干预，以确保这些动物的安全，防止它们遭受进一步的伤害和痛苦。
经鉴定，这些龟都很健康，ACRES 目前正在寻找领养人。
呼吁公众不要遗弃无人认领的宠物
ACRES表示，当主人无法继续照顾红耳龟时，不应将其放生到新加坡的自然环境中。相反，主人应该寻求适当的帮助或寻找新的领养家庭。
“作为宠物，它们可能不具备在环境中独立生存的能力，放生它们可能会使它们面临受伤、饥饿和其他风险，”声明中写道。
ACRES补充说，根据新加坡《野生动物法》，遗弃此类动物也是违法的，被定罪者将面临最高5000新元的罚款。
AsiaOne已联系国家公园局征求意见。
邢莹.koh@asiaone.com