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If you’re driving through Wellington County and find a turtle on the road, a new emergency hotline is available to provide help.
Wellington Turtle Conservation Group launched its own hotline in August as a response to high turtle mortality in the county.
“We have a big need here in Wellington County,” said Sandy Nicholls, founder of Wellington Turtle Conservation Group. “We have a lot of wetlands, a lot of gravel pits and a lot of turtles.”
She says the hotline was necessary because many people would reach out to the group’s social media pages about a stranded turtle, but wouldn’t include the location.
The turtle hotline asks people specific questions and finds out exactly where the stranded or injured turtle is.
Nicholls says it’s most essential during nesting season, when male turtles are most active in May, and females in June.
She says the species of turtles in Wellington County, which are primarily snapping turtles and painted turtles, are on a rapid decline.
“I have had land owners this year tell me that they used to look out in their pond and see 30 painted turtles on a log and now they only see three.”
Nicholls says road mortality, habitat loss and illegal poaching are the main variables causing decline.
Snapping turtles are on the species at risk list in Ontario and are labelled as special concern.
Midland and eastern painted turtles are labelled as special concern federally, but not in Ontario. The government of Canada website says the loss of about 70 per cent of wetlands in southern Ontario over the past 200 years has resulted in the decline of painted turtles.
Even if the turtle looks dead or is badly injured, Nicholls urges people to still call the hotline
Injured turtles are sent to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, who ensure the turtle receives medical attention.
“They use pins and screws and they put them together,” said Nicolls.
She says even if the turtle is dead people should call. If it’s a female, it may still have eggs in it.
“They might be able to extract those eggs and incubate those eggs and then release them back to where her wetland was,” said Nicholls.
The Wellington Turtle Conservation Group’s work entails responding to turtle calls, protecting nests, taking hatchlings and releasing them into ideal conditions.
Nicholls said the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre has its own hotline, which people can call if they find an injured turtle anywhere in Ontario.
To reach the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group hotline, call 226-906-7014.
