Upsetting
footage has emerged which shows locals on an Indonesian beach taking it in
turns to ride on the back of an endangered leatherback turtle.
This cruel
behaviour was captured on July 5, with the distressed turtle struggling to make
its way back to the ocean.
As reported
by a witness, residents captured the turtle after it had been laying eggs on
Asukweri beach. This is despite guidelines advising residents to leave sea
turtle mothers alone.
At one
point, two men and a young child can be seen attempting to ride on the turtle’s
back, with one of the men placing his feet on the animals head. A bit further
on in the clip, a man can be seen standing on the turtle’s back flippers.
Eventually
the turtle is released back into the ocean, having been put through harmful and
unnecessary stress for the residents’ amusement.
Local
authorities have yet to make a comment on this video, which has shocked animal
lovers from all across the world.
Leatherback
turtles are facing extinction, with a particularly steep population decline
noted in the Pacific.
According to
the World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
[Leatherback
turtles] are the largest sea turtle species and also one of the most migratory,
crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Pacific leatherbacks migrate
from nesting beaches in the Coral Triangle all the way to the California coast
to feed on the abundant jellyfish every summer and fall. Although their
distribution is wide, numbers of leatherback turtles have seriously declined
during the last century as a result of intense egg collection and fisheries
bycatch. Globally, leatherback status according to IUCN is listed as
Vulnerable, but many subpopulations (such as in the Pacific and Southwest
Atlantic) are Critically Endangered.
Locals
Torture Endangered Leatherback Turtle By Riding On Its Back
Weighing
between 600 to 1500 pounds, and measuring around 55 to 63 inches in length,
these turtles make for a fascinating sight. However, these vulnerable creatures
need to be treated with care and respect, with this sort of thoughtless
behaviour being completely inexcusable.
As reported
by ProFauna, all sea turtles in Indonesia are protected by legislation, as well
as by international law.
ProFauna
have offered guidelines to those wishing to observe sea turtles on the beach,
advising them to minimise noise, make slow movements and remain calm. ProFauna
have also advised against approaching turtles which have just landed at the
beach.
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