Giant Sea Turtle Rescued From Smugglers Trunk

A Costa Rician police officer was making a routine stop at a traffic checkpoint in the quiet port city of Limon (on the Carribbean Sea) when a car approaching the checkpoint suddenly opened fire.

Officer Raul Rivera said to the Tico Times, “We saw the car approaching and were about to stop it for an inspection when suddenly they [the occupants] began shooting at us.”

The police were quick to pursue the vehicle and after a few miles they were able to get the vehicle to stop and pull over.  As the car stopped, one person made a mad dash for freedom and left the vehicle while  another was taken into custody.

Officer Rivera then searched the vehicle and was stunned by what he found in the trunk.  Crammed in the trunk was a Giant Green Sea Turtle that was thankfully alive and flapping its flippers.

The Limon Police believe that these men were planning to sell the kidnapped and endangered Green Sea Turtle for its meat.  Green Sea Turtles nest on the Caribbean Sea beaches of Costa Rica from July to October and are often and sadly poached for their meat and eggs.

This lucky Green Sea Turtle got a happy ending as the Limon Police took this turtle to the beach and released it back into the ocean.