Annie, are we targeting the wrong group?

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Posted by Karl H. Betz on July 20, 2001 at 08:07:11:

In Reply to: ACTION ALERT: Gopher Tortoise (KILLED) hanging from mailbox posted by TortoiseAid on July 20, 2001 at 04:49:25:

We strongly support finding and prosecuting this individual. But we don't believe that will change the problem.
We posted below, a month or so ago, about a colony here in south Georgia that was bulldozed. As long as this is the level of protection that the federal government can sustain, the tortoises will continue to decline.
In fact, they might be doing better if they were not protected at all. Now, we know that seems inflammatory but hear me out. If they weren't protected, you and others who care about them, like us, could relocate them whenever we found a site being developed. We have been hearing about URD for better than 20 years now and we are still finding tortoises. Guess it is not the tortoise world ending plague that we have been led to believe! People who genuinely care about tortoises could be keeping and breeding them. Anyone who can successfully house and breed sulcatas outdoors could arrange for and properly keep Gopher Tortoises. In the wild, it has been reported that sulcatas are known to dig deep, extensive burrows. We believe that the people who need to receive the petitions are the federal government, in favor of permits for keeping and breeding Gopher Tortoises.
Just our opinion on this sad issue.
God Bless and heartfelt good luck in catching this monster!
Karl & Cyndi Betz

Follow Ups:

Re: Annie, are we targeting the wrong group? Justin 07/20/01 (3)
- Re: Great Poin justin..more Chris H 07/20/01 (0)
- Re: Annie, are we targeting the wrong group? Annie Lancaster, TortoiseAid 07/20/01 (1)
  - Thank you, Annie Karl H. Betz 07/20/01 (0)

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: We strongly support finding and prosecuting this individual. But we don't believe that will change the problem. : We posted below, a month or so ago, about a colony here in south Georgia that was bulldozed. As long as this is the level of protection that the federal government can sustain, the tortoises will continue to decline. : In fact, they might be doing better if they were not protected at all. Now, we know that seems inflammatory but hear me out. If they weren't protected, you and others who care about them, like us, could relocate them whenever we found a site being developed. We have been hearing about URD for better than 20 years now and we are still finding tortoises. Guess it is not the tortoise world ending plague that we have been led to believe! People who genuinely care about tortoises could be keeping and breeding them. Anyone who can successfully house and breed sulcatas outdoors could arrange for and properly keep Gopher Tortoises. In the wild, it has been reported that sulcatas are known to dig deep, extensive burrows. We believe that the people who need to receive the petitions are the federal government, in favor of permits for keeping and breeding Gopher Tortoises. : Just our opinion on this sad issue. : God Bless and heartfelt good luck in catching this monster! : Karl & Cyndi Betz

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