Timeline Photos

JOEY�S BASKING SPOT

Joey is a Chinese softshell turtle who was rescued in late 2013 with a severely deformed shell. She had been (illegally) kept by a member of public for over 10 years.

When we receive new animals, we take time to observe their behaviour, to understand what they like to do, their favourite food, basking spot, hiding spots, etc. Our turtle enclosures are designed such that half the enclosure receives natural sunlight for half the day. We observed that Joey liked to use her hide box as a basking spot in the late afternoons when her enclosure received natural sunlight (inset).

Taking cues from from Joey�s behaviour, we set up a basking spot for the other softshell turtles in our care Whilst the other turtles were a little hesitant about exploring new structures, we were thrilled that Joey made use of the basking platform immediately, as you can see from the main photo!

Chinese softshell turtles are native to China, North Vietnam, Korea, Japan and Russia. They are heavily exploited for the meat trade; their meat is used in turtle soup. The public may also release them into the wild, sometimes even into the sea, as �mercy releases�. This is not only illegal in Singapore, but also cruel, as these turtles are freshwater species and often do not survive if they come into contact with sea water. ACRES has rescued softshell turtles from beaches with painful ulcers and infections resulting from release into this unsuitable environment.

Please play your part to end cruelty to softshell turtles by saying no to turtle soup, mercy releases and the trade in wild animals as pets!

If you�d like to make a difference for Joey and other rescued animals – as a volunteer animal caregiver – register now for the upcoming Wildlife Guardians training programme on 17th October. More details can be found at www.acres.org.sg and the sign-up form is at this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16Hy6hU8G3vnYNUPLbFtknGk1acaAXGOb4bdis7EZHe8/viewform

#ACRESWildlifeRescue

Source: https://www.facebook.com/ACRESasia/photos/a.223077136522.136..

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ACRES

ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society) is a pioneering Singapore-based charity and Institution of Public Character, founded by Singaporeans in 2001 with the aim of promoting animal welfare.

ACRES has six focus areas: Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Wildlife Crime Investigation, Zoo Animal Welfare, Humane Education, Community Outreach and Promoting Cruelty-Free Living.

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