London - The release this week of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film could be followed by a fresh wave of terrapins being dumped in ponds when they outgrow household fish tanks, the custodians of Britain's waterways said on Monday.
The North American natives, which can live for up to 40 years and grow to the size of dinner plates, prey on fish, reptiles and even ducklings.
The comic book heroes were popular in the 1980s and 1990s, prompting fans to buy baby terrapins, which were discarded by the thousands when they grew older.
“They can be pretty big, pretty grumpy and pretty smelly, which means that, sadly, some people just fall out of love with them,” the Canal and River Trust, the charity that looks after the nation's waterways, said in a statement.
The trust's Mark Robinson urged those who bought terrapins to contact animal welfare organisations if they did not want their pets anymore.
“They'll be able to advise on options for rehoming, which is not only better for the animal but protects all the really important native wildlife in our wonderful canals,” he said.
It is illegal to release a red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans) in Britain's waterways, which scientists said are too cold for them to breed in.
The latest film in the franchise, released on Friday in the UK, stars Megan Fox and sees the four mutants re-emerge from New York sewers to fight crime. - Sapa-dpa