WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND — A $1,000 reward is being offered by animal welfare authorities for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for dumping a group of soft-shell turtles on a road in West New York, according to the Washington Post.
A motorist spotted the turtles being attacked by a flock of seagulls and called for help.
Four of the 10 turtles had frozen to death, characteristically unable to survive in the Northeast climate due to their soft shell. The remaining six were taken to an animal shelter and treated for wounds from the bird attack.
Soft-shell turtles are native to Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, are illegal to own as pets in New Jersey without a permit.