Breaking News
Turtle-napped
Chelsea White
16 February 2008
TWO people are facing criminal charges after attempting to turn Little Manly icon Skiffy the green sea turtle into soup.
Skiffy whose species is protected escaped death by the skin of his flippers when Manly Council rangers discovered him netted and stuffed in a cooler just near the old Manly gas works.
A local resident raised the alarm, allowing a ranger to nab a man from Sichuan, China, attempting to carry the 25kg turtle away on Thursday evening.
The man's female friend from Killara was found nearby.
After the attempted turtle-nap was foiled by the rangers, poor Skiffy was liberated and released back into the water.
When Skiffy is not trapped in coolers he often hangs out at the Manly 16ft Skiff Club, where members have not only named him but also often feed him.
``He just wanders around, especially on a nice summer's day, and he comes right into our wharf,'' sailing manager Brad Andrew said.
Manly Council and the Department of Environment are now investigating the incident in the hope of pressing criminal charges. However, as turtle-napping is rare the exact punishment the pair could receive is not clear. Punishment could range from a warning or a fine to criminal prosecution.
The rangers said the pair had initially tried to hide the fact they had caught the turtle, then later said they just wanted to look at it.
``(When) I then told the male and female they had caught what I believe to be a green ocean turtle, which is prohibited, the female said `I just wanted to look at it','' ranger Scott Taylor said.
Yesterday members of the skiff club were shocked to hear of their namesake's ordeal. Mr Andrew said Skiffy would have been missed terribly because he is a local identity.
While he's quite timid, Skiffy is content to show off to visitors, especially if bread is involved.
While thanks to the council ranger Skiff lives to eat another day, National Parks is asking the public to be on the lookout to ensure his safety.
National Parks' weekend on-call ranger is providing back-up for the friendly turtle by patrolling the area.
While Skiffy may be named after a sailing club, the rest of his species are named after the green colour of the fat under their shells.
A green sea turtle can grow to more than a metre in length and weigh 150kg. They are found all over the world, but are most prolific in our Pacific waters.
The species is recognised as endangered and is protected from exploitation in most countries.
Despite it being illegal to collect, harm or kill turtles they are often hunted for their meat, shells and eggs.
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