Wellington County now has an emergency hotline available for assisting with turtles found on the road. The Wellington Turtle Conservation Group recently introduced this hotline in response to the high mortality rate of turtles in the county. According to Sandy Nicholls, the group’s founder, the hotline was established due to the substantial need in Wellington County, which boasts numerous wetlands, gravel pits, and a significant turtle population.
Previously, individuals would contact the group via social media about stranded turtles without specifying the location, prompting the necessity for a more efficient solution. The hotline now prompts callers with specific questions to accurately pinpoint the location of the stranded or injured turtle, particularly crucial during nesting season, with male turtles being most active in May and females in June.
The county is home to primarily snapping turtles and painted turtles, both of which are facing a rapid decline. Factors contributing to this decline include road mortality, habitat loss, and illegal poaching. While snapping turtles are listed as a species at risk in Ontario, painted turtles are labeled as special concern federally, not provincially. The loss of approximately 70% of wetlands in southern Ontario over the past two centuries has significantly impacted the painted turtle population.
Sandy Nicholls emphasizes the importance of contacting the hotline even if a turtle appears deceased or severely injured, as there may still be viable eggs. Injured turtles are directed to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre for medical care, including procedures like pinning and screwing fractures. The Conservation Centre can extract eggs from deceased female turtles, incubate them, and release the hatchlings back into suitable habitats.
The Wellington Turtle Conservation Group’s efforts involve responding to turtle emergencies, safeguarding nests, rescuing hatchlings, and releasing them into optimal environments. Nicholls also mentions that the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre operates its own hotline for reporting injured turtles statewide. To reach the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group hotline, individuals can call 226-906-7014.