Georgia wildlife officials thwarted an alleged attempt to poach sea turtle eggs from a nest on Sapelo Island last month.
After law enforcement officials with the Department of Natural Resources learned a nest had been robbed, they intercepted the Sapelo ferry when it arrived in Meridian on May 27. K-9 Officer Ranger 1st Class Tim Hutto was on the scene with K-9 Officer Gauge, who has been trained to detect wildlife items.
“The dog alerted on a duffle bag, and the owner was asked for consent to search,” the DNR report reads. “Consent was granted and 156 sea turtle eggs were discovered inside. After further investigation, a small amount of marijuana was found in the bag and a handgun was located in the subject’s vehicle. The individual had admitted to being a convicted felon.”
DNR has turned over the case to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, said Capt. Doug Lewis of DNR law enforcement. The DNR had handled cases of turtle egg theft before, but never so many eggs at one time.
“That was a whole nest,” Lewis said. Nests average about 120 eggs.
The Fish & Wildlife Service took custody of the eggs, which were not viable, Lewis said.
A fish and wildlife official declined to offer more information, including the suspect’s name, because the investigation is ongoing.
Sea turtle eggs are prized by some as a purported aphrodisiac and a food delicacy. But loggerheads in Georgia are a threatened species, protected as are all sea turtle species by both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Potential penalties for a person possessing their eggs include up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.