In Wellington County, a new emergency hotline has been launched by the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group to assist in rescuing turtles found on the roads. The initiative was introduced in August to address the high mortality rate of turtles in the county.
Founder of the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group, Sandy Nicholls, highlighted the urgent need for the hotline due to the abundance of wetlands, gravel pits, and turtles in Wellington County. She explained that many individuals would contact the group’s social media platforms regarding stranded turtles but often failed to provide precise location details.
The hotline is designed to gather specific information from callers to pinpoint the exact location of stranded or injured turtles. Nicholls emphasized the importance of the hotline during nesting season, particularly in May for male turtles and June for females.
The predominant turtle species in Wellington County, mainly snapping turtles and painted turtles, are facing a significant population decline. Nicholls recounted instances where landowners observed a drastic reduction in turtle numbers in their ponds over the years.
Factors such as road mortality, habitat destruction, and illegal poaching are contributing to the decline of turtle populations, with snapping turtles listed as a species at risk in Ontario. Additionally, Midland and eastern painted turtles are federally classified as special concern due to wetland loss in southern Ontario.
Despite the condition of the turtle, Nicholls encouraged people to contact the hotline for assistance. Injured turtles are transferred to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre for medical treatment, including procedures like pinning and screwing fractured shells.
Nicholls emphasized the importance of calling even if a turtle appears deceased, as females may still carry viable eggs. The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre can extract and incubate these eggs before releasing them back into their natural habitat.
The efforts of the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group involve responding to turtle emergencies, safeguarding nests, caring for hatchlings, and releasing them into suitable environments. Nicholls also mentioned that the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre operates its own hotline for reporting injured turtles across Ontario.
For assistance from the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group, individuals can contact the hotline at 226-906-7014.
