Tuntung sungai or river terrapins - The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed them as critically endangered and no wonder; the reptile is a gourmet’s delight. I remember seeing villagers selling them to interested parties who would make herbal soup out of them back in the 70s. Of course, this was a rare occurrence since by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the reptile was actually near extinction. Not too long ago, I thought I saw a terrapin in the murky water of a drain. Terrapins are known to live both on land and the brackish, swampy water; so, I suppose this one must have found its way here and boy, was it a big one! There were some boys there and excitedly, I yelled them over to have a look. The terrapin laid still as we watched and a boy threw a pebble at it. Someone then said it was just a bottle and indeed it was! I believe you would probably have mistaken the stained bottle for a giant terrapin too, wouldn't you?
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