Turtles in demand as pets, leading to a spike in poaching

Story at a glance "We are seeing an uptick in turtle poaching," he said. "It's getting ruthless where we are seeing thousands of turtles leaving the United States on an annual basis." "Turtle populations cannot take that kind of a hit with that much removal coming out of the wild." One study found over half of the 360 living turtle and tortoise species are at risk of extinction. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Swimming in two plastic bins inside a brightly lit and sterile quarantine room at a Rhode Island zoo, 16 quarter-sized turtle hatchlings represent a growing worry for conservationist…