HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-07-29, Page 7Rehabilitated turtle
released back into wild
Laura Broadley
Clinton News Record
Last month an Ausable
Bayfield Conservation
employee found an injured
female snapping turtle on
the road.
The turtle was brought to
Tree Haven to be rehabili-
tated before being released
back into the wild. A group
of campers from the Ausable
Bayfield Conservation
nature day camp were
watching as it was released
into the Morrison Reservoir.
Jory Mullen, lead species
at risk technician with the
Huron Stewardship Council,
said that turtles are being
killed at an alarming rate
from poaching, habitat loss
and from being hit by vehi-
cles on the road.
Snapping turtles are a des-
ignated "species at risk" in
Ontario and so it is espe-
cially important that they are
preserved, said Mullen.
The importance of saving
the turtle is highlighted by
the fact that for every 1,400
eggs a turtle lays, on average,
only one of them will survive
to adulthood, according to
the ABCA.
Mullen said female turtles
have to travel to get the a
place fit for laying their eggs,
which means they're cross-
ing many roads in the
process.
If you do see a turtle on
the road, the best the is to
help the turtle go in the
direction it was pointing,
said Mullen. Pushing the
turtle with a stick, moving
it with a blanket are just
some of the ideas to help
get the turtle across the
road. Mullen warns to
never pick the turtle up by
its tail as that can damage
its spine.
If you find an injured tur-
tle in the road, put it in a
well -ventilated container
without giving it food or
water. Then transfer it to a
rehabilitation centre.
"Even if the rehabilitation
centre cannot save the turtle,
they may be able to save the
eggs inside her," said
Mullen.
Turtles are especially vul-
nerable because of the
reproduction cycle. Some
turtles don't reproduce until
they're 25 -years -old and
very few offspring reach
adulthood.
Turtles are vital to the land
and water health system.
They help to control aquatic
vegetation and they are scav-
engers, riding the wetlands
of decaying fish and other
organisms, according to the
ABCA.
If you would like to find
out more about turtles and
how you can help monitor
turtle populations and pro-
tect these species, contact
Hope Brock at Ausable Bay-
field Conservation. Brock
can be reached by phone at
519-235-2610 or toll free at
1-888-286-2610 or by email
hbrock@abca.on.ca.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015 • News Record 7
Laura Broadley Clinton News Record
Jory Mullen, lead species at risk technician with the Huron Stewardship Council, spoke to a group
of campers at the Ausable Bayfield Conservation's nature camp. The female snapping turtle was
released into the Morrison Reservoir last Thursday.
11
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