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Concerned samaritans save over 800 baby turtles from storm drains just in time
Luckily, the turtles were found just in time. Otherwise, their fate would have likely been much different.
Morgan Slimak
05.17.21

Hundreds of struggling baby turtles were found swimming around in storm drains in Ocean City, New Jersey recently, reports Stockton University’s Vivarium.

In total, rescuers pulled 826 of the diamondback terrapin hatchlings out of the drains.

They were barely surviving on what was left of their yolk sacks, and as it turns out, the rescuers arrived just in time.

Posted by Stockton University onWednesday, May 5, 2021

Marlene Galdi, Joanne Freas, plus Evelyn Kidd and friends managed to save an incredible amount of them.

However, it wasn’t an easy task.

stheaker
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stheaker

These cute little turtles were named as a species of “special concern” by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife for a good reason.

They are the only species of turtle that is adapted to spend its entire life living in coastal salt marshes, tidal creeks, and small pools of brackish water.

As late as the early 1900s, they were still found in abundance in New Jersey, Maryland, and other regions along the coast. However, ever since Terrapin Stew became a popular dish, their numbers have quickly declined.

Herry Lawford
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Herry Lawford

The big issue:

The main problem for the baby turtles who hatch out of the underground nests in the area is that there is no good place for them to go.

The nests are first created in the winter, and then when the turtles start hatching in the spring, they quickly get themselves into trouble. They climb out of the ground, start wandering, and the next thing that they know, they find themselves in the middle of busy intersections with cars flying by.

Famartin
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Famartin

That’s not the end of the turtles’ struggle though, as the rescuers explain in a viral Facebook post.

“When a baby terrapin successfully crawls across the street, they can meet yet another obstacle — the curb. Marlene and Joanne regularly look for crossing terrapins to give them a hand,” says Stockton University.

When the turtles get to the curb and can’t climb over it, they end up getting funneled down the street. Eventually, many of them slip through the cracks and fall into storm drains.

Once rescuers realized the extent of what was happening, they immediately got to work.

“They crafted a custom scooper from a telescopic aquarium net attached to a bamboo pole.”

Posted by Stockton University onWednesday, May 5, 2021

They managed to pull out 826 diamondback terrapins in total.

It brings the number currently cared for by partner organization The Wetland Institute to 1,108.

Posted by Stockton University onWednesday, May 5, 2021

After around a year in captivity, they will all be released back into the wild.

Of course, the rescuers will make sure to let them loose in an area that is well away from any hazards like the storm drains.

Posted by Stockton University onWednesday, May 5, 2021

The pictures will warm your heart.

Once they are big enough to care for themselves and even hardier than their wilder counterparts, they’ll be taken back to their natural habitats.

“Hatchlings spend about a year at Stockton under optimum growing conditions to give them a head start prior to being released back into the wild. A head-started terrapin is 2-3 times larger than a wild terrapin of the same age.”

dwdavisauthor0
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dwdavisauthor0

These cute turtles deserve a second chance in life just as much as anyone else. Like many species, they are suffering from habitat loss due to rapidly expanding human civilization.

If you happen to find a diamondback terrapin wandering on the streets near you, Stockton University explains in their Facebook post exactly what you should do.

Check out the full post about the baby turtles’ rescue from Stockton University’s Vivarium below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

#WildlifeWednesday: In the past few weeks, Stockton University's Vivarium has welcomed 8️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Diamondback terrapin 🐢…

Posted by Stockton University onWednesday, May 5, 2021

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