A turtle belonging to an invasive species was spotted at a park in Incheon, captured by local authorities and then mistakenly released into a nearby river Monday.
Officials are now working to recapture the animal.
“If we spot it again, we will attempt to capture it, but unfortunately, the river is long and locating it won’t be easy,” an Incheon city official said Tuesday morning, a day after the incident. “The turtle is about 30 centimeters in size, and once it goes underwater, it becomes very difficult to find.”
Common snapping turtles are known for their aggressive behavior and strong predatory instincts. They have no natural predators in Korea and, according to animal experts, can cause serious injury to humans if provoked or handled improperly.
The turtle was spotted around 7:40 a.m. Monday at a park in Incheon. After receiving a report, a government official in charge of wildlife management contacted a contracted animal handler to retrieve it.
Believing the turtle to be harmless, the contractor released it into a nearby river. However, upon reviewing a photo of the turtle later that day, the city official realized it was a common snapping turtle, an invasive predator that, under government guidelines, should have been euthanized.
The city's wildlife rescue manual instructs personnel to release animals back into the wild if they are not classified as invasive species that pose an ecological threat.
The city said the turtle will be euthanized once captured.
“We have now revised our manual so that any turtle found, regardless of species, will be taken to the city office for identification before any action is taken,” the official added.
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