Yet, tenuous and pathetic as its existence was, this turtle was one of the lucky ones. To save their lives, Bonner had administered a drug to make them lay the eggs, which to her surprise seemed viable and are now in the incubator. I asked her. You establish refugee populations in as many places as you can, and you wait for the animals to become extinct in the wild and for people to value them alive. Since there is no refrigeration at the Chinese markets, turtles must be kept alive, but this in no way interferes with preparation of the animals as food.
Butchers carefully remove carapaces and plastrons with chisels and hammers.
Fat is sliced out, unwanted organs discarded, and the still-living beasts stacked on display counters. After the carapace and several pounds of organs had been removed, what remained of the turtle bit the knife and was beaten back. Even Chinese markets in the United States butcher turtles this way. Humane laws that apply to warmblooded creatures don't apply to reptiles, because the public somehow equates the ability to experience pain with the ability to thermoregulate. In 1981 Congress asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to promulgate regulations for humane and healthful importation of reptiles, but the agency didn't get around to it until 1997.