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PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL (Florida) 05 August 08 100-pound turtle's fate in limbo - Jay family debating whether to kill or keep their controversial catch (Carmen Paige)
Some people are outraged by a Jay family's capture of an estimated 100-pound alligator snapping turtle last weekend on the Escambia River and a comment that they might eventually kill it.
Richard Mast of Pensacola said he and friends believe its treatment is "totally outrageous."
"The turtle needs to be released into its natural habitat," he said.
The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida received 10 to 15 calls Monday morning, director Dorothy Kaufmann said.
"Wildlife should not be pets," she said. "If someone is going to kill something, it's best if it's a game animal. We are not into trophy situations."
Karen Brewton of Milton offered to buy the turtle.
"I would like to set it free," she said. "It's beautiful."
Jerry Phillips, 53, and his son, Glen, 15, caught the turtle and are debating what to do with it.
"We've got him pinned up in the water in a johnboat," Jerry Phillips said. "I plan to keep this turtle alive."
Glen said he wants to build a sanctuary for the turtle but doesn't have enough money.
"I do want to keep him alive, and if I get some help, I will," he said. "But I am not going to release him or (donate) him."
Glen said he will probably end up destroying the turtle for which they have had offers to trade or sell.
"I'll kill him and eat him and take him to the taxidermy and have his whole body mounted," he said.
Glen said the turtle, which he named Goliath, is OK for now.
"He's not suffering," he said. "We're taking good care of him."
Under Florida law, residents are allowed to have one alligator snapping turtle, said Lt. Stan Kirkland, regional public information coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
It is not endangered or threatened but is on the state's Species of Special Concern list.
"It is not illegal under Florida law to possess one at a time, and you can reduce it to a food item," he said. "We are not going to criticize the family for doing that."
Kirkland said the turtles cannot be sold. A fishing license is needed to capture the turtles but is not required for people under age 16, said Paul Moler, a retired biologist with the commission.
Moler said the turtles are not often seen.
"I don't consider them rare necessarily, just secretive," he said.
100-pound turtle's fate in limbo

SANTA ROSA PRESS GAZETTE (Milton, Florida) 09 August 08 Editorial: Larger than life
There is no joy in Mudville today.
Why?
We have learned of the demise of a life which has seen a lot of history.
The turtle caught by a family in Berrydale is gone. Family members decided the attention they were getting was just too much and ended it all.
“Goliath,” as he came to be known, was a 101-pound turtle that got a lot of attention. Unfortunately, not all of it was good.
Here at the paper, some staff members are avid hunters and fishermen, but they agree there is a base line that everyone must draw.
It is understood that some people will hunt and fish for food.
Thus comes the adage, "give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
This is where the rub develops.
The family had stated it would eat the turtle for food due to limited income.
Granted, that’s the good part, the turtle didn’t go to waste, but it is time we ask ourselves a question.
This alligator snapping turtle had lived a long existence.
At 100 years of age, Goliath lived through William H. Taft being elected President of the United States, following Teddy Roosevelt.
Some other things which took place during his life:
The first ‘ball drop” occurred in Times Square to signify the beginning of a New Year.
The Grand Canyon National Monument was designated.
The Boy Scout movement started.
The first long-distance radio message was sent from the Eiffel Tower.
Mothers Day was observed for the very first time.
The first Model-T Ford was produced.
The first airplane was flown.
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series.
The Bureau of Investigations, which later became the FBI, was founded.
Buddy Ebsen and Bette Davis were born.
The NAACP was founded.
The Hudson Motor Company was founded.
And, when Goliath first chipped out of his egg, there were only 46 states in the Union.
This is just scratching the surface off all the history represented by this turtle’s life.
When someone gets old, we honor him or her, but this animal was not honored.
The only ceremony that will be held in Goliath’s honor is when he returns from the taxidermist and is hung upon the wall, or placed somewhere to collect dust.
Events like this give those who hunt and fish a bad name.
Avid outdoors people realize the older an animal gets, the tougher the meat.
It would be hard to see any animal older than 100 as something delectable.
So, if not for food, was the animal to be sold? Or returned to his freedom if the right price was paid?
That almost reminds us of the days when terrorists would hijack an aircraft and demand to be flown to Beirut, Damascus, or even Cuba.
Indeed, demanding money for Goliath’s freedom would have been akin to holding its life hostage.
Goliath earned the right to live by making it through everything the world could throw at it.
The turtle deserved something it didn’t get: respect.
Goliath lived a long life and should have been allowed to live it out as long as he could.
We understand there are hunters and those who enjoy the sport and use the meat.
But some things in the outdoors should be respected.
“Goliath”, you deserved much better than the fate life handed you.
Editorial: Larger than life