Heartbreaking footage shows hundreds of turtles piling up on top of each other in cramped and dry pools at a Buddhist temple.
The protected amphibians were being kept for several years illegally and without their much-needed water at the religious building in Ang Thong, central Thailand.
Monks running the facility believed that they were carrying out good deeds that would bring them positive karma, or merit, by hoarding the creatures.
However, shocked wildlife workers received complaints about the appalling conditions of the creatures and raided the temple on Thursday (January 30) morning.
As well as being cruel, the country also classes turtles as a protected species and it is illegal for anyone to keep them in captivity.
In total, there were 563 turtles including 369 yellow-headed temple turtles, 158 giant Asian pond turtles and 36 Asian box turtles.
The Royal Forestry Department has now begun to investigate and ordered the temple to improve the living conditions.
Head monk Deva Suwanmunee said the temple did not intend to secretly keep the turtles and blamed locals for dumping them in the temple grounds.
He said: "We never smuggled the turtles into the temple but they were all brought here by local farmers who found them in their land and did not want to kill them.
"The temple is always the first place that comes into people's minds when they want to get rid of animals.
"We did not know as well that these turtles were reserved animals. Our duty as Buddhists is to nurture them and keep them alive."
Wildlife officers have dropped the case against the temple but they will instead target the locals who took the turtles there.
Monks will continue looking after the creatures while working with the government to have them rehired in sanctuaries or released.
Turtle caretaker Prajob Kaewto, 66, said the animals used to live in much worse conditions at the temple, roaming around in the muddy grounds, before a local philanthropist built a ceramic pool for them.
She said: "Residents always brought turtles here and we never refused to take them in. They used to live in a muddy puddle until a benefactor built a ceramic tank to extend their living area.
"However, people kept bringing more and more so the tank started to become crowded.''
