Happy Halloween!
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Recent turtle news includes a tortoise traveling to near space, a campaign for a plastic-free coastline, and a going-home party for a sea turtle.
Also see a snake riding a tortoise, and a dog helping save a turtle. Plus the ‘Turtle Man’ of North Carolina, and other stories.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
Saving turtles from fishing line, oil, and owners who got in over their heads. Also a tortoise unfazed by a snake, a golfing tortoise 😉 , and more.
Dog helps save turtle: Ok, Sissy probably didn’t do much actual helping, but she clearly wanted to. She swam around the tangled turtle & tried to help pull it to shore. Her human got the turtle untangled.
Meet the ‘Turtle Man’: He rescues tortoises (mostly sulcatas) when their owners realize they can’t take care of the animals. He’s based in North Carolina, but he’ll travel to pick up tortoises in need. 💗 He also welcomes visitors to stop & pet them when he’s got them out for walks.
Oiled turtle in Chicago: The turtle and other wildlife got caught in an oil spill in Bubbly Creek, on Chicago’s south side. Officials aren’t sure where the oil is coming from.
Just a rattlesnake hitching a ride … on a tortoise’s back! See the video if you don’t believe it. 🙂
Piglet, Fuschi, & Indigo have gone home: Poor Piglet had pneumonia & spent more than a year in rehab at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
Bubba just wanted to play a round of golf: The tortoise had disappeared from its school habitat & showed up at a golf course 22 miles away! It’s now safely back home.
And the Tour de Turtles is in the home stretch. Plus, remember the Sea Turtle Open House if you’re in the South Wellfleet, MA area:
- Just one day left in the Tour de Turtles!: Can you believe it? Soca’s still leading the Leatherback category. And Eliza Ann is hanging on to her lead over Cruz in the non-leatherback category.
- Learn about sea turtles at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary: The Sea Turtle Open House happens on Saturday, November 25.
Recent International Turtle News
Mostly good news for sea turtles, including a party for one who’ll be going home soon! Sad news for turtles attacked in a pond, plus turtles in space, on a train, & in an urban lake.
10 turtle speared with pencils: 🙁 The pencils were apparently new and not sharpened. Six turtles died & the other 4 are getting vet care. Under Hong Kong law, animal cruelty can be punished with up to 3 years in prison and a HK$200,000 fine.
Sea turtle conservation shows progress in Eritrea: Most of the Eritrean islands in the Red Sea now make good turtle habitats. But officials say they must continue with strict conservation work to continue with gains. (Africa)
4 sea turtles saved from fishing net: A fishing boat found the net and pulled it out of the water. Then they found the 4 turtles, one of which was in bad shape. It is receiving treatment.
Turtles in space? Well, not exactly. But one little turtle, named Little Cloud, flew into near space for a few hours. Why? Apparently to pave the way for humans to take near-space trips. Don’t know about you, but I’m still asking why?
Turtle on a train? This time the answer is yes! But the why is a complete mystery. The Indian softshell turtle is a protected species, and nobody claimed it.
Weston wants Plastic-Free Coastline Status: A worthy goal, indeed! No plastic for turtle & birds to eat. No straws to get stuck up a turtle’s nose. If you live in the area, get involved! And even if you don’t, use less plastic to help keep your own community cleaner. (England)
Yoshi will get a going-home party: Yoshi is a popular loggerhead sea turtle living at Two Oceans Aquarium. She’ll go back to sea in December, but the aquarium is having a party in her honor on November 20. All proceeds from the party will go into the aquarium’s turtle rehabilitation work. (Cape Town, South Africa)
Singanallur Lake supports Indian Flapshell Turtles: Nature enthusiasts spotted two of the turtles recently. One was nesting. This is good news for the endangered species.
Fiji reminds the public of turtle meat ban: The ban has existed for 3 years, but the Fisheries Ministry makes periodic reminders. Violators may face a 500 dollar fine and up to 6 months in jail.