Charity concerned about baby terrapins bought after seeing the film, only to be abandoned as they grow up

RSPCA officers fear an influx of abandoned terrapins in the wake of the UK release of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie last month.

The charity told the BBC that it is already starting to see instances of reptiles bought as 50p-sized babies being dumped after they grow into adulthood.

Officers believe people are watching the new film and purchasing the tiny reptiles on a whim without fully understanding the amount of care they require. Terrapins – a type of turtle – can reach the size of a dinner plate and have special dietary and environmental needs.

“Terrapins are complicated animals to care for and can also carry bacteria such as salmonella,” the RSPCA’s Nicola White told the BBC. “We would discourage anyone from buying any pet on a whim and strongly urge people to think carefully first before buying an exotic pet.

“Releasing unwanted exotic pets into the wild is cruel and illegal,” she added. “Most exotic pets are unlikely to be able to survive in the wild in Britain and non-native species could pose a serious threat to our native wildlife.”

Three terrapins were recently passed to the RSPCA after being found dumped in a bucket in woods in Trebanog in Wales. There are fears that many more could follow in an echo of the difficulties faced by animal welfare charities in the wake of the original 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

A similar phenomenon has emerged in the US, where the movie hit cinemas in August. Charity American Tortoise Rescue appealed to parents not to buy turtles for their children after viewing the film, which has been a box-office smash on both sides of the Atlantic.