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Last update - 16:07 04/04/2008
Gazans eat endangered turtle termed 'as good as Viagra'
By Reuters
Tags: Leatherback turtle, Viagra 

GAZA - A rare giant sea turtle caught on a beach near Gaza City was slaughtered and eaten by Palestinian fishermen who said its blood was an aphrodisiac, among other therapeutic qualities.

As the turtle's throat was slit on Thursday night in front of a crowd, one fisherman said a sip of its blood was "as good as Viagra", referring to the popular drug used to fight erectile dysfunction and impotence.

Children were later seen using a part of the shell as a surfboard.
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Based on a description of the turtle's size and shell, Yaniv Levy, an Israeli expert on sea turtles, said he believed it was the endangered Leatherback turtle. Leatherbacks normally weigh between 300-500 kilograms (661-1,102 pounds), he said.

"It's very rare. We don't know a lot about the Leatherback's population in the Mediterranean ... All we know is that they're here and they are under threat," Levy told Reuters by phone.

He said up to three Leatherbacks reach the Israeli coastline each year. Israel pulled troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip in 2005 but continues to control its coastline, air space and major goods crossings.

A Reuters cameraman said the fishermen collected the giant turtle's blood and gave it to children suffering from trauma and adults with back problems.

"I call it a super turtle. That's the biggest turtle on earth today. It can dive up to one kilometer," Levy said.

"It's unfortunate of course to see such a rare animal being slaughtered. It's such a unique opportunity to learn about these guys," he added.

A smaller Leatherback was caught off the Gaza coast last month but the turtle was released after fishermen discovered it carried a tag classifying it as an endangered species.


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      1.   Savages! 16:10  |  Zionist 04/04/08
      2.   Sea Turtle 16:23  |  Nature Lover 04/04/08
      3.   To Zionist 16:41  |  Not! 04/04/08
      4.   Not! 17:55  |  ChanahS 04/04/08
      5.   Not! (#3) Well Not since you are asking 18:40  |  Gil 04/04/08
      6.   fine, if they know what to do 18:41  |  curious 04/04/08
      7.   Is there anything the "PALS" wont kill/destroy? 18:57  |  pace306 04/04/08
      8.   Savages? 19:01  |  Donald 04/04/08
      9.   Viagra? 19:12  |  the truth 04/04/08
      10.   Hey Zios, you turned most of your country into a Zionist 19:18  |  Andreas 04/04/08
      11.   #10 apart from the usual rubbish from eurolefties... 20:19  |  Bob 04/04/08
      12.   They wouldn`t have to eat turtles if... 21:16  |  Lidia 04/04/08
      13.   Dear "Not!" and Andreas:you can fool yourselves, but not us 22:04  |  Richard S 04/04/08
      14.   typecasting 22:22  |  RM 04/04/08
      15.   Not 22:36  |  Connie 04/04/08
      16.   Donald 22:42  |  Connie 04/04/08
      17.   to not 23:24  |  green 04/04/08
      18.   Weissglass` Diet Plan 00:18  |  Mark of Lewiston 05/04/08
      19.   isnt that haram? where are the imams when you need them 00:35  |  boxley 05/04/08
      20.   read some of these talkbacks and there will never be peace here 00:52  |  hal tripp 05/04/08
      21.   Andreas, you are SO wrong! 01:21  |  Scharker Yid 05/04/08
      22.   Donald 01:56  |  Brad 05/04/08
      23.   Adding to Gil`s excellent solution for Not 02:06  |  MR 05/04/08
      24.   It is the "Mentality", stupid 03:13  |  Massoud Levy 05/04/08
      25.   Dear MR and Gil, does that mean they have to work hard and act re 03:15  |  Massoud levy 05/04/08
      26.   Clarification 05:39  |  Donald 05/04/08
      27.   Lidia 05:58  |  Avrum 05/04/08
      28.   Leatherback Turtle Murder 06:26  |  Debra M 05/04/08
      29.   If only... 07:14  |  shell shocked 05/04/08
      30.   PRINT IT-U KNOW ITS TRUE!!!!! 08:44  |  MATILDA 05/04/08
      31.   to number 1 08:48  |  Jerusalemite 05/04/08
      32.   Blame Israel! 10:24  |  Dav 05/04/08
      33.   The ridiculousness of imagery 10:41  |  Clickfool 05/04/08
      34.   i`m speech less 10:53  |  A.S.D 05/04/08
      35.   Dav 11:41  |  Brill 05/04/08
      36.   blame Israel for female genital mutilation?????? 13:07  |  GL 05/04/08
      37.   #33--Clickfool--For once I agree with you!! 13:17  |  US CITIZEN 05/04/08
      38.   well if you do charity for hungry jewish boys 13:36  |  mehmet 05/04/08
      39.   Jerusalemite 31 13:37  |  ChanahS 05/04/08
      40.   mehmet 38 15:35  |  ChanahS 05/04/08
      41.   Swiss Dino - where are you? 15:36  |  ChanahS 05/04/08
      42.   No.38 Shame on arab baggers you do not receive enough UN money 15:48  |  d 05/04/08
      43.   Respect 16:22  |  ASD 05/04/08
      44.   #36 16:34  |  Brill 05/04/08
      45.   Mehmet 16:36  |  ***** 05/04/08
      46.   Andreas 16:52  |  Sranger 05/04/08
      47.   On turtles and viagra soup. 17:04  |  Stephen. 05/04/08
      48.   No 10 Zionist turned this land into country 17:24  |  d 05/04/08
      49.   wondering why ? 17:28  |  fish lover 05/04/08
      50.   Darfur, Turtles, Judenrien and Qassams 17:44  |  HonestAbe 05/04/08
      51.   Respect 18:07  |  A.S.F 05/04/08
      52.   RESPECT 18:13  |  ASD 05/04/08
      53.   # 41 Chanah S "Here I am :) 18:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/04/08
      54.   No boxley it´s halal to produce children to hit the Jews 18:58  |  Karl 05/04/08
      55.   Disgusting - just like rest of human eating habits 19:01  |  David 05/04/08
      56.   ChanahS (41) see post No. 46. Dino hiding behind Stephen 19:14  |  Karl 05/04/08
      57.   For unbelievers, You can see it at 19:56  |  HS 05/04/08
      58.   #38. The poor Kurds occupied by Turkey and Armenian Genocide 21:50  |  semsem 05/04/08
      59.   #53 Swiss (Dino) 21:51  |  Malone 05/04/08
      60.   # 59 Malone 23:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/04/08
      61.   Swiss(Dino) 00:01  |  Malone 06/04/08
      62.   For $500 Reuters could save the turtle. Arab would gladly sell 00:26  |  d 06/04/08
      63.   to all you well-fed and selfrighteous hypocrites 03:16  |  eric 06/04/08
      64.   63-send eric piece of GAZAN MATZOH 05:05  |  PK 06/04/08
      65.   I hope they made nice turtle soup. 07:56  |  Maureen Ann 06/04/08
      66.   Respect! Well said. 10:33  |  Ilan 06/04/08
      67.   # 64 i`ve got a better idea, pk (2nd try) 03:58  |  eric 07/04/08
      68.   #67-eric-I see you are well-fed now... 03:40  |  PK 09/04/08
      69.   Palestinian Turtle killing 05:55  |  JS 16/04/08
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