[TinyRedLeaf]

Turtle's last stand

Hong Kong (26 Nov, 2008): For decades, turtles have been killed and eaten by the Chinese who believe in their medicinal properties. But on Monday (Nov 24), one turtle tried to change its fate.

The wattle-necked, soft-shelled turtle, measuring about 60cm (2ft), bit a chef assistant's foot, in a bid to escape the cooking pot in a Hong Kong restaurant. The chef assistant, a 35-year-old man surnamed Liang, ended up in hospital with his little toe bitten off.

Mr Liang, who had been wearing slippers, moved near the turtle - which had been placed on the floor inside a makeshift cage of pails and boards - when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his right foot.

He shouted in shock and saw that it had bitten his toe.

He tried to pull his foot out of the turtle's mouth but it got worse. The turtle refused to budge. So Mr Liang used more force - in the end, something's got to give.

By the time his colleagues rushed to his help, his little toe had already been bitten off in a bloody mess.

After the incident, the restaurant added a cautionary sign on the boards of the makeshift cage that read: "Do not touch or your fingers might be bitten off. Beware of fierce turtles."

As for the turtle, it couldn't escape its fate.

The restaurant owner said it will be cooked and served tomorrow (Nov 27) in a turtle-and-snake tonic soup.

- THE NEW PAPER, APPLE DAILY, THE SUN