This was one lucky turtle. The 70+ year old lady bought it with 100+ dollars. She said to the turtle, “… find a safe place to hide and do not get caught again …” before releasing it into the harbour. She said it will bring good fortune to her family and Hong Kong. Over the past 10 years, she told me, she has released 500 turtles, each costing 100 to 500 dollars. And Hong Kong seemed to be doing well.
Come to think of it, I am not sure it is good fortune for the turtle to be released. First of all, the turtle was probably raised, not caught. So it may or may not be able to handle the open water. Secondly, this is the VictoriaHarbour, where people dare not swim! Thirdly, it looked like one of those “Brazil” turtles which seems to be fresh-water ones. Can they survive in sea water?
Let's see... over the past 10 years, Hong Kong has seen bird flu, SARS, a massive economic crash, and generally worsening pollution and greater disparity between the rich and the poor. I guess that we're doing better now than before, but I think that's probably more due to "what goes up will come down" and vice versa.
Getting back on track to the turtle -- I had a friend in the US who would use those "catch them live" mouse traps, because she didn't want to kill the mice, she just wanted them out of her home. She'd take them to some park or something to release them. My feeling on that was: (1) you're making your problem somebody else's, and (2) that mouse is probably going to be good food for some raptor or snake or whatever, since it doesn't know how to fend for itself in a "real" environment.
My feeling is that the turtle's probably going to drown or something. And some lucky fish is going to get a good meal.
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Let's see... over the past 10 years, Hong Kong has seen bird flu, SARS, a massive economic crash, and generally worsening pollution and greater disparity between the rich and the poor. I guess that we're doing better now than before, but I think that's probably more due to "what goes up will come down" and vice versa.
Getting back on track to the turtle -- I had a friend in the US who would use those "catch them live" mouse traps, because she didn't want to kill the mice, she just wanted them out of her home. She'd take them to some park or something to release them. My feeling on that was: (1) you're making your problem somebody else's, and (2) that mouse is probably going to be good food for some raptor or snake or whatever, since it doesn't know how to fend for itself in a "real" environment.
My feeling is that the turtle's probably going to drown or something. And some lucky fish is going to get a good meal.
Yeah, it is laudable to want to do good deeds. Yet we often end up making things worst.
Have you thought of sharing with her your Christian beliefs?
Yes, I kicked myself afterwards. I am thinking of going back there to see if I can find her again.
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