One of our animal welfare officers traveling in Thailand, in Buriram province. Actually it should have been a market stroll to buy some food for dinner. Looking at one of these street vendors, she was taken aback. She was sure she had seen this man before. Surrounded by other street vendors, he was unimpressive. Simply another street vendor offering his fruit to earn a living.

Mind you, the situation was far from as harmless as it seemed to be. In fact, the vendor offered water turtles for sale, which are a protected species in Asia, too. The animals are illegally traded as a delicacy. Our Animal Welfare Officer swiftly reached an agreement. She bought the whole lot for a special price.

And now on to a well-deserved freedom! About 15 kilometers inland from Buri Ram we had found an unspoilt piece of land with a pond: the appropriate new home ....