Tucked away in the heart of Peckham, South London, Peckham Rye Park has become the location of an unexpected wildlife discovery. While Londoners might be used to the sight of exotic green parakeets swooping between the trees by now, there’s another creature lurking in the waters that could leave Londoners rather shell-shocked.
TikTok user Akash (@Akisphere1), in his video series titled ‘Wild Endz’, revealed that there are a number of terrapins – a type of turtle – living in Peckham Rye park. In the video, he is heard saying: “There are literally two terrapins sunbathing.”
While enjoying the scenery of the park, Akash chanced upon a group of turtles serenely “chilling” in one of the park’s ponds. While encounters with terrapins in London are rare, they do happen, thanks to irresponsible pet owners releasing them.
London parks such as Peckham Rye park typically play host to indigenous birds, squirrels, and the odd fox – leaving some ecologists concerned that the terrapins could be considered a threat to local wildlife, as well as the environment being unsuitable for the turtles themselves.
Terrapins saw a rise in popularity as pets in the 1990s thanks to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon – but many families found that the creatures, which can live up to 40 years, were tricky family pets, leading to their illegal release.
It is believed that there are at least 4,000 feral terrapins in the UK, with London leading for sightings, according to froglife.org. It is now illegal to release a terrapin in the wild – but their numbers have continued to rise, with sightings across London in the likes of Chiswick Gardens, Southwark Park, and even Camden Lock.
Terrapins mostly feast on aquatic plants, but will take the opportunity to eat small mammals and invertebrates. Used to living in warmer climates, the UK weather can be harsh on a terrapin’s immune system, leaving them more vulnerable to catching and spreading diseases. Vitamin deficiencies and a lack of sunlight can also result in ‘shell rot’ in feral terrapins, where the shell becomes soft and spongy.
For now, if you spot a terrapin relaxing in your local park, leave them be – but you can report your sighting at www.turtletally.co.uk, to alert turtle researchers keeping track of the UK’s terrapin numbers.
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