Turtle Conservation

Turtle Conservation

Turtles are prehistoric beings. Existing for over 200 million years, these creatures roamed the earth with dinosaurs. They have survived several mass extinction events. These animals are hardy. Today, 60% of our turtles are in danger of becoming extinct and it’s directly linked to human action. It’s our job now to save the remaining turtles and hope to see them thrive again. 

You can contribute and help save the turtles! What are some ways you personally can make a difference in turtle lives? 
1. Watch where you’re driving! Be careful of common turtle crossing areas. Also watch for turtle nests along the side of the road. 

2. If you spot a turtle nest on the side of the road, call a turtle/wildlife rescue to relocate the eggs. Do not move them yourself, handling them incorrectly can cause harm to the babies inside. 

3. Be careful when moving turtles across the road. Always move them the direction they’re heading or they’ll just turn around and walk across the road again.

4. Avoid plastic as much as you can, especially straws and plastic bags! Limiting use of plastics will not only help our earth but will keep plastics out of the water to be eastern by turtles. Turtles are found to gravitate toward objects that resemble jelly fish. 


5. Take care of holes and sandcastles at the beach. These easily become obstacles for baby turtles trying to reach the water.

6. Clean up after yourself at the beach. We don’t want more garbage ending up in the water. 

7. Be cautious when mowing the lawn. Turtle eggs could be hiding in the dirt, especially in warm months.

8. Do not keep wild turtles as pets. Not only are they extremely important to the ecosystem, but we need them out there breeding and making more turtles. They also carry bacteria that can harm humans and they require a LOT of care.  If you’re interested in owning a turtle, contact a rescue. Turtles are the most abandoned and surrendered reptile. Many people do not want to keep them their whole life span nor care for a large, messy turtle. Beware what you’re bringing home, plan to take care of it for most of your life and rescue a turtle in need of a home. Don’t buy a baby from a store. 

If you would like to help even more, please consider donating or volunteering.

Links for volunteer/donation opportunities:

https://ontarioturtle.ca

https://www.turtleguardians.com/volunteering/

 

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