Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers are seeking two small turtles, which they say were sold illegally by someone in Gibbons, Alta., last December. "Map turtles are known as carriers of salmonellosis and pose a potential public health hazard," said Fish and Wildlife officer Dana Brand. Even though they are illegal in Alberta, map turtles are popular pets in other provinces because of their small size, according to David Law, who runs the Alberta Turtle and Tortoise Society. While the northern map turtle, native to southern Ontario and Quebec, is considered an at-risk species, the turtles Fish and Wildlife are looking for appear to be false map turtles, Law said. Should the turtles be found, Fish and Wildlife intends to find them a home in an Alberta zoo, where they are legal.

Source: CBC News May 18, 2019 12:00 UTC