Faced with an unprecedented incident, visitors of Paros were found when they saw a sea turtle hanging outside the door. ELAS arrived at the point and confiscated the animal with the owner giving two different versions of how one of the rarest turtle species worldwide was found at the door.
The visitor informed NGO Naxos island wildlife protection, which states that when they took the photos with the animal "we were hard to believe what we were seeing: not only did someone consider a dead animal to be “decorative” but it was a Geracic Turtle (Hawksbill – Eretmochelys impricata), one of the rarest species worldwide, recorded few times in the Mediterranean and described as Critically Endangered.".
ELAS was informed and "he went to the point, seized the turtle and invited the owner to explain. The woman argued that she found her on a beach in Paros, while later reported that she had been given to him by a deceased person. However, according to testimonies, the turtle was hung at the entrance of his house for a long time, which raises the reasonable question, why no competent authority had been informed earlier.".
For the case a case has been formed, as legislation expressly prohibits the possession, trafficking, marketing or transport of protected wildlife species, even their members.
"The possession of such species cannot be considered either normal or tolerated. Turning a rare, protected animal into “exhibit” is not only morally unacceptable, but also illegal. We hope that the investigation of the case will shed light on all its aspects and help inform and raise public awareness so that similar incidents do not go unnoticed," the announcement concludes.
