Florida turtles stuffed in socks recovered in illegal animal trafficking case

Turtles rescued from alleged smuggler now in Florida

A handful of Gulf Coast Box Turtles were found stuffed in socks in an alleged attempt to smuggle them from New York to China, officials said. Those turtles have been brought to the Brevard Zoo in Florida to heal and be rehabilitated before eventually being released back into the wild.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Federal authorities intercepted hundreds of box turtles smuggled out of the United States after discovering the animals hidden inside socks and falsely labeled as plastic toys in New York, officials said.

U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stopped the shipments before they could be sent overseas, though officials say hundreds of turtles had already been trafficked.

The backstory:

The turtles were found stuffed inside socks and labeled as plastic toys in New York. Thankfully, the smuggler didn’t make it overseas with the animals. 

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They were intercepted by Border Patrol, Customs and Fish and Wildlife, but not before hundreds of other turtles had been taken already. In total, officials say 22 parcels containing around 850 turtles were smuggled over the last few years. 

The approximate market value of the turtles was $1.4 million.

How the zoo is helping

The Brevard Zoo took in nine of the turtles from the trafficking ring. They are living under the care of the Wild Florida Habitat and will likely stay there for a few months before they head back to the wild. 

Box turtles are native to Florida and thrive in the panhandle. They’re targeted by thieves for their colorful shells. They face many threats, including habitat destruction and being smuggled by traffickers. This is the first reptile trafficking case the zoo has been able to help with.

What they're saying:

Zoo officials and visitors are devastated to see animals sold on the illegal pet trade.

"It’s really hard to see species that we work so hard to protect and habitats we work so hard to be protected, and it’s hard to see them being exploited," said Jenna Bakhuizen, who’s the Herps and Aquatics Supervisor at Brevard Zoo.

"I don’t feel good about smuggling anything because I’ve heard about a lot of animals that have been smuggled. It doesn’t do them any good. They just want to make the money," said zoo visitor Karen Davis.

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The zoo is working to make sure the animals have the skills to go back to the wild.

"Give them back a life that they are very much used to that doesn’t include being shoved into socks and taken in a place where they don’t know and being sold," said Bakhuizen.