Mong Kok flat stench uncovers turtles, carcasses
On.cc · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police and firefighters forced entry into a ninth-floor unit in an old tenement building on Canton Road in Mong Kok at 12:09pm on Thursday after residents reported a strong foul smell. Inside, they found about 10 live turtles, two dead turtles and another animal carcass, and police later reclassified the case as animal cruelty while tracing a female tenant linked to the subdivided flat.
Key Points
- Residents reported a foul smell from the staircase of a tenement at 1028-1036 Canton Road, Mong Kok, and emergency crews were called at 12:09pm on September 24.
- Firefighters forced open the door of a ninth-floor unit after no one answered, and officers found multiple turtles inside along with animal remains.
- Sources said 10 turtles were found alive, two turtles were dead, and the flat also contained a cat carcass or another suspected animal carcass.
- At the scene, officers moved several plastic tanks holding turtles to the rooftop; the water inside had turned black and was giving off a strong odour.
- Neighbours said the subdivided unit was occupied by a woman living alone, while another account said a property agent raised the alarm after noticing the smell and the tenant had recently lost contact.
Why It Matters
The case has moved beyond an initial “discovery of odour” report into a criminal animal cruelty investigation, meaning police are now trying to locate the tenant and establish how long the animals were left in those conditions.
The involvement of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals points to follow-up handling of the surviving animals and possible evidence gathering for any prosecution.