Ankeny Man Faces Over 100 Charges In Turtle Trafficking, Poaching Case

It seems like someone got a little ambitious about turtles.

That person would be Aiden Throndson from Ankeny, who is facing charges for poaching turtles in Alabama.

Around August 5th, a complaint came in located at Highway 278 and County Road 73 in Winston County, Alabama. Throndson and his turtle collecting skills were taken into custody by game wardens and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

It hasn't been specified exactly how many turtles he had but he's facing 104 charges of taking or selling protected species. Tack on another 20 charges of 'violating protections for flattened musk turtles by taking or capturing them'.

Sheriff's Office Winston County Facebook

I found his Instagram and yes, it is indeed a bunch of pictures of turtles.

Flattened musk turtles are only found in Alabama and it is listed as critically endangered. State law does not allow them to be hunted, trapped, collected, or captured without authorization. The law also regulates the sale of the turtles and their body parts.

Throndson was given a $100,000 cash bond and a $5,200 good bond.

Turtle trafficking is a lucrative, hugely-destructive trade. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has worked for years and still does to bust turtle trafficking rings. In different cultures (like Asia), a turtle collection can show wealth, or in other places, turtles can be used as food or medicine. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are on the line in these rings.

A huge issue is that it can take a turtle a decade or more to fully mature so when someone poaches turtles somewhere, it can cause the collapse of the local ecosystem.