Wild turtle illegally kept as pet, listed for sale online: BCCOS

A threatened turtle was seized by conservation officers after two people tried to sell it online. (BCCOS/Facebook)

Two people who were caught trying to sell a wild turtle that may be a threatened species could face charges, B.C. conservation officers say.

The pair from Kelowna was reportedly keeping a western painted turtle as a pet, but decided to try to sell it online, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a social media post. A concerned resident who saw the ad for the turtle reported it to the province's Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline.

"It is illegal to keep any kind of wildlife as a pet," BCCOS said in its notice about the investigation.

"Taking an animal from the wild can result in it having an unnatural life in captivity, or the animal may be accidentally killed by the action."

Conservation officers said they seized the turtle on Sunday and took it to the BC Wildlife Park, a zoo in Kamloops. The turtle will be cared for and assessed at the wildlife park.

According to BCCOS, the western painted turtle is considered a "threatened species" or "species of concern" depending on where it's from in the province. The turtle still needs to be assessed to determine where it came from, the BCCOS explained to CTV news Vancouver. Regardless, removing it from its natural habitat could "have a devastating impact on the population," the BCCOS said.

At this point, it's unknown if the turtle will be released back into the wild. Conservation officer Hana Anderson said it depends on the turtle's condition, where it came from and whether it picked up any diseases.

"There's definitely a concern. You wouldn't want to take a turtle that was from one area and then end up releasing it into another and mixing into the genetics of that area if it's not supposed to be there," Anderson said.

For that reason, Anderson said it can also be damaging to release any pet turtle into the wild.

The couple accused of trying to sell the turtle could face charges of possession of live wildlife and wildlife trafficking, which are both offences under the BC Wildlife Act, BCCOS said.

"The illegal pet trade is very alive and when we get the opportunity to go out and investigate and recover the animals, it's absolutely wonderful," Anderson said. "We really want people to stop collecting wildlife from the wild. It can be very damaging."