Terrapin encounter
A couple of weeks ago, I was strolling along the East Coast Beach (Singapore). In front of me was a fairly large red-ear terrapin. He was frantically making his way towards the sea.
This really puzzles me. Red-ear terrapins are freshwater creatures. How did this guy come here? Perhaps someone released him here, thinking that he can survive in the sea.
I am not too confident that he will survive in the saltwater ocean. He will most probably die of thirst from the lack of freshwater.
I walked quickly to see if the nearby water canal is freshwater-based or not. True enough, I saw other red-ear terrapins in the canal as well. They seemed to be thriving there. So, I quickly go back to the beach to look for the guy. He is now on the sandy beach pretty close to the ocean. I gently carried him by the shell and mumble to him not to put up a struggle.
The terrapin was tame and didn’t put up a struggle. Sometimes they do put up a struggle and try to pry the hands away. Hehe.
I carry him to the freshwater canal, let him have a look at the canal. This is to signal to him that I am about to release him into the water.
Then I gentle lower him into the water.
A couple of seconds later, he pops up to the surface of the water. Turn around as if to see who put him back into the nice fresh water, and off he swims into the distance.