Driving through Wellington County and encountering a turtle on the road? A new emergency hotline is now accessible to provide assistance. The Wellington Turtle Conservation Group has introduced its hotline to combat the high turtle mortality rate in the county.
Founder of the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group, Sandy Nicholls, emphasized the urgent need for the hotline due to the abundance of wetlands, gravel pits, and turtles in Wellington County. Previously, individuals reaching out to the group’s social media platforms about stranded turtles often failed to provide the location, necessitating the hotline’s implementation.
During nesting season, which sees heightened turtle activity with male turtles being most active in May and females in June, the hotline proves particularly crucial. The predominant turtle species in Wellington County, primarily snapping turtles and painted turtles, are facing a concerning decline.
Various factors such as road mortality, habitat loss, and illegal poaching contribute to this decline. Snapping turtles are categorized as a species at risk in Ontario, labeled as a species of special concern. Additionally, while midland and eastern painted turtles are federally classified as special concern, this distinction does not extend to Ontario.
The government of Canada’s website highlights the significant loss of approximately 70% of wetlands in southern Ontario over the past two centuries as a leading cause of the painted turtles’ decline. Even in cases where a turtle appears deceased or severely injured, Nicholls stresses the importance of contacting the hotline.
Injured turtles are transferred to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre for necessary medical attention, including procedures like using pins and screws for treatment. Nicholls emphasizes the importance of contacting the hotline even if the turtle is deceased, as female turtles may still carry eggs that can be extracted, incubated, and released back into their natural habitat.
The efforts of the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group encompass responding to turtle distress calls, safeguarding nests, caring for hatchlings, and releasing them into suitable environments. Nicholls also mentions the availability of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre’s hotline for reporting injured turtles across Ontario.
For assistance from the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group hotline, individuals can dial 226-906-7014.
