Hyderabad: Pet parents to 3 American red-eared turtles celebrate World Turtle Day

Hyderabad: On the eve of World Turtle Day, aspiring tennis player Mohammed Shabaz Hussain and Manal Shamsuddin from the city, who train at a city-based sports institution—Sports Village Courts at the HPRC complex celebrated the day at their residence in Jubilee Hills on Sunday.

The duo are proud pet parents of three American red-eared turtles, popularly known as Terrapin, native to brackish coastal tidal marshes in eastern and southern United States, and Bermuda. This rare species belongs to the monotypic genus Malaclemys.

The players marked World Turtle Day (May 23) by spreading awareness about the uniqueness of turtles and tortoises. They exhorted the neighbourhood peer groups and elders on the need to help them survive and thrive in their natural environment.