The BBC is reporting (Spanish) that “Ninja Turtles,” taken as pets when the series was hot, are now being discarded into lakes in the UK. Irresistibly cute when they’re little, the red-eared water turtle “has the potential to live for decades” and grow shells up to 30cm, somewhat less desirable for owners.
The turtles, as adept at fending off enemies as their cartoon dopplegangers, claim food and habitat needed by native species. These turtle boys don’t cut ’em no slack. The good news is that the turtles, native to the Southwest U.S., find it too cold to mate in the UK, though that’s somewhat offset by the long lifespan.
Apparently anthropomorphism is quite the fad in the UK. A few years ago, the BBC reported that the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) was calling out Hollywood for chipmunk (Chip’n’Dale) and iguana, water dragon, chameleon, and snake (Jurrasic Park) abandonment.
The SSPCA and ARC Trust best lay some groundwork before the the next TMNT movie is released in 2011.
*Side note: Yglesias has a problem with Donatello.