Turtle Soup? Staten Island’s Famous Monster Turtle Likely Taken by Poachers
“Shnappy,” and his nearly-as-large female companion vanished in early September.
Back in June, I reported that free-flowing immigration from third-world countries resulted in three teens, refugees from Myanmar, slaughtering and eating one New York town’s swan mascot.
It is reported that poachers have captured Staten Island’s beloved monster turtle and may sell it for soup.
The massive, roughly 50-pound, two-foot-long by 15-inch-wide snapping turtle, known to admirers as “Shnappy,” and his nearly-as-large female companion vanished in early September from their decades-long digs in Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island, park officers and patrons told The Post.
City parks officers are investigating claims that a team of men captured the titan turtle and his muse with hooks overnight sometime before Sept. 11 under the cloak of darkness, wrapped the doomed beasts up in towels, carried them to their car, and sped off.
Some officers said they fear the turtles were likely flipped on the black market for big money to rogue restaurateurs and meat markets whose customers savor turtle meat — which is difficult to come by in the Empire State because it has among the nation’s strictest laws protecting reptiles and amphibians from being purchased or sold.
The turtles may be on their way to a New York restaurant.
This is because New York has some of the strictest laws in the nation regarding the sales of reptiles and amphibians. So, people who want to cook them have a hard time obtaining them.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first instance of poaching in that same park. There have also been reports of people poaching smaller turtles, clams, and fish from the same park.
Meanwhile, Staten Island has been struggling to deal with the surge of immigrants being directed to the area by New York City officials.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella was among those who filed suit against city government to shut the shelter down.
“These ordinary folks wake up one day, they have, you know, migrants living next door to them, there’s nothing to do”, he told NPR. “And we’re just being told ‘Tough luck.’ And what we’ve said is Staten Island didn’t cause this problem. Why are we obligated to solve the problem?”
Fossella says the city’s budget can’t handle taking care of so many migrants and Staten Island shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences. In fact, Fossella is one of several Staten Island leaders who has supported secession.
“I know there are folks out there who think, ‘Well, New York City voted for a right to shelter.’ Staten Island is different. Staten Island doesn’t support these concepts.”
Unfortunately, Staten Island may have lost its mascot turtle to innovative hunters who are now making their home on the island.
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Comments
oh no.
I was terrified of that thing as a child.
Illegals are not “immigrants”. Not in any sense of the word.
Even legitimate asylum seekers (of which there are about … ZERO, are not “immigrants”. They are supposed to be seeking temporary asylum until they can return to their land.
“surge of illegal aliens” is the correct phrase.
Thugs
But they are still migrants. As in they should continue to migrate and move on.
I have been saying the same thing for years. If I move from CA to NY I am a migrant. If I move from Guatemala to NY without legal authority I am an illegal alien.
You’re both. Migration is an act, not a status. It doesn’t matter whether it’s legal or illegal, it’s still migration.
Denying this is like claiming that if you drive without a license you aren’t really a driver. No, you’re an illegal driver. An “undocumented” driver, even. But a driver nonetheless.
Illegal aliens gotta eat. Personally, I’m enjoying the quite foreseeable consequences that are biting NY in the butt.
R.I.P. the turtle though.
Sending their brightest and best
And yet, the NYC restaurant will buy it, no questions asked, and serve it to the wealthy a$$holes who could care less
“These ordinary folks wake up one day, they have, you know, migrants living next door to them, there’s nothing to do”, he told NPR. “And we’re just being told ‘Tough luck.’ And what we’ve said is Staten Island didn’t cause this problem. Why are we obligated to solve the problem?”
This guy is a prize.
“Political party: Republican (1990-present), Democratic (before 1990)”
“Former U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella, who left office in 2009 after a drunken driving arrest a year before led to revelations he had a secret, second family in Virginia, won his bid for Staten Island borough president Tuesday night, marking a comeback for the once-disgraced politician…”
I wonder whether they’ll cook the soup on a fire built from the Sycamore Gap Tree.
That one was flat out stunning in its disgusting, anti-social, pure evil.
On a level with the Taliban blowing up the Buddhas of Bamiyan.
What, do you think those two turtles are more important than hundreds of migrants who came looking for a better life?
Yes. Because they were part of the community.
And they were here first.
I find this story hideous and those responsible reprehensible. I believe large turtles have long lifespans. It is not like someone stole a dog and slaughtered it to eat.
However, a 50 lb turtle is not ‘gigantic’ nor ‘titanic’. I have snorkeled off the coast of Guam and seen turtles up-close that must have been 200 lbs or more.
Hell, they have an endangered giant clam patch down about 40′ in which each clam was at least thirty pounds. They open their shells a bit to filter the ocean water for small particles to eat, but they can sense unnatural movements in the water (snorkelers mostly I presume) and they ‘clam up’ right quick from at least ten feet away.
Erronius
There have also been reports of people poaching smaller turtles, clams, and fish from the same park.
NY has clams?!
Clams got legs. They wooda left by now!