CAMBRIDGE -- The Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society is asking drivers to look out for slow moving turtles on the road during this year’s mating season.
Those driving near wetlands, like on Roseville Road in Cambridge, are being warned to keep an especially careful eye on the road.
“As we sort of encroach upon their natural habitat, we’re seeing a lot more of their habitats being destroyed and injuries from the roads,” said Dr. Laurel Gale of the KW Humane Society. “So just like any at risk or endangered species, we want to try and keep those numbers up.”
The humane society adds that the eight different species of turtles in Ontario are all considered at risk.
Cambridge resident Crystal Will says she's come across three dead turtles in the past few weeks.
"It breaks my heart, it does. They don't deserve to die," she said.
Most recently, Will found a turtle with a cracked shell after it was run over by a vehicle. She's now urging drivers to slow down and keep an eye out for the reptiles.
"He was already dying, he died practically in my hand," she said. "We're going to have no turtles in the future if people don't pay more attention."
The Humane Society recommends helping turtles cross the road if it is safe to do so, adding it's important to move them in the direction they were heading.
"We really recommend if someone sees a turtle trying to cross the road, if it's safe for them to do so, to pull over and help them cross the road," Gale said. "We kind of recommend doing it like a pizza box with one hand underneath and one hand on top of the shell to safely move them across."
Residents who come across a dead or injured turtle are asked to call the Humane Society.
"It's very important that you mark down with as much detail as you can where it was found because they want to return either the turtle or once they've hatched the eggs, they want to return the turtles to directly where they were found," Gale said.
