Turtle found dead sparks wildlife safety concerns in Waterloo neighbourhood

Neighbours in the Laurelwood area of Waterloo are upset after an old snapping turtle was found dead on Laurelwood Drive this week.

The discovery is sparking calls for more safety measures for wildlife.

“It had been moved, so just into the bike lane, but it was previously in the middle of the road,” Heather Bartlett, a nearby resident said.

Bartlett said with the bodies of water in the area, turtles are a common sight crossing the road. Many residents shared their outrage with the turtle’s death, in social media posts.

"It's really disappointing. Honestly, we see turtles pretty regularly here, maybe once every couple months at least, and people typically stop to help them cross the road. And it's just really disappointing to see such an old turtle in this area that someone unfortunately ran over,” Bartlett said.

“[It] actually made me very sad. It actually made me cry,” Michelle McPhee, another neighbour said.

Based on the photos of the animal, Grand River Environmental Network Vice-Chair Kevin Thomason estimates the turtle that died was at least 50 years old.

“It is such a loss to the community. And when you see these giant matriarchs or even patriarch turtles, they're often 50, 60, 70, 80, upwards of 100 years old,” Thomason said.

Thomason said based on its size, it would have been hard for a driver not to see it on the road.

“This one was massive. You would have known, it would have felt like you were hitting a boulder. if you don't see something the size of that on the road, you're not going to see a baby carriage or a bicycle or a lot of other things,” Thomason said.

According to McPhee, there used to be turtle crossing signs along Laurelwood Dr., but those were removed about a year ago, and she would like to see them put back up.

“But I think if people were aware of it and maybe thought about something other than themselves sometimes.We've got some great ponds and trails that we enjoy, but wildlife enjoys them, too,” McPhee said.

Thomason said some species can travel as far as two kilometres to mate and are commonly seen crossing roads in the spring and fall. He said most offspring don't survive very long, and it can take several years before a turtle can start mating.

Thomason added as communities expand, we need to explore ways to make roads safer for wildlife.

“How can we make our roads safer, how can we provide turtle tunnels and fencing and culverts? Because it's not just the turtles,” Thomason said.

If you do see one crossing the road, Thomason suggests you help it out.

“Help it across the road, and that doesn't mean you need to pick it up and carry it across or whatever, but literally, slow down other traffic, make sure other people see the turtles crossing the road,” Thomason said.