As the release of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" movie approaches, the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) is urging parents to purchase toys for their children instead of live turtles.
This is set to be the seventh theatrical release in the Ninja Turtles franchise. The ATR says many kids frequently ask parents to buy live turtles as an “impulse buy” after the release of previous Ninja Turtles films, leading to tragic consequences as many turtles lose their lives in the pet trade.
“Sadly, after bringing the turtle home, sticking it in a small tank, and waiting for it to perform, kids abandon interest when nothing happens – the turtle just sits there.” ATR said in the plea.
As the first national turtle and tortoise rescue organization in the U.S., ATR recommends that the best thing that parents can do is purchase action figure toys that actually mimic the ninja movements from the film.
“I like to say putting a turtle in a tank is how we would feel if we had to live in a bathtub all our lives,” co-founder and executive director of ATR Susan Tellem said in a press release.
“Sadly, most of these turtles were abandoned in shelters and rescues or dumped into lakes and waterways (or worse toilets) after the movie’s young fans found out that the real turtles did not fight crime or perform incredible stunts.”
Tellem says that the consequences of buying live turtles have been disastrous for thousands of these creatures, particularly, the red-eared sliders.
The ATR says that these turtles should only be adopted by individuals with private ponds that can mimic their natural habitat.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" is set to be released in theatres across North America on Aug. 2.
Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.
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