Wellington County now has a new emergency hotline to assist with turtles found on the roads. The initiative was launched by the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group in August to address the high mortality rate of turtles in the area. Sandy Nicholls, the group’s founder, highlighted the urgent need for the hotline due to the significant presence of wetlands, gravel pits, and turtles in the county.

Nicholls emphasized that the hotline was established because many individuals would report stranded turtles through social media without providing precise locations. The hotline is designed to gather specific information about the turtle’s whereabouts, particularly crucial during the nesting season when male turtles are most active in May and females in June.

The declining populations of snapping turtles and painted turtles in Wellington County have raised concerns. Factors such as road mortality, habitat loss, and illegal poaching are contributing to this decline. Snapping turtles are listed as a species at risk in Ontario, classified as special concern.

While Midland and eastern painted turtles are federally labeled as special concern, they do not hold the same status in Ontario. The government of Canada has highlighted the loss of around 70% of wetlands in southern Ontario over the past two centuries as a key reason for the decline in painted turtles.

Nicholls stressed the importance of calling the hotline even if a turtle appears dead or severely injured. Injured turtles are transferred to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre for medical treatment, including procedures like using pins and screws for injuries. Additionally, if a deceased female turtle may still have eggs, specialists can extract and incubate them before releasing them back into their natural habitat.

The Wellington Turtle Conservation Group is dedicated to responding to turtle-related calls, safeguarding nests, caring for hatchlings, and releasing them under optimal conditions. Nicholls also mentioned that the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre operates its own hotline for reporting injured turtles across Ontario.

To contact the Wellington Turtle Conservation Group hotline, individuals can call 226-906-7014.