Give Orphaned and Injured Wildlife a Second Chance

At Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary, most of our animal intakes each year are mammals and birds, with reptiles comprising an average of only 2% of the total. Yet for such a small percentage of our total, the stories behind these reptile rescues can be some of the more interesting. This year was no exception! The following two stories span the spectrum from the unlucky with a happy ending to the unbelievably lucky and heartwarming.

Our first tale began with a call from a rescuer inquiring if we would take in a small snapping turtle that had been kept but no longer wanted. Following some phone discussions concerning the nature of the rescue, the turtle was brought into our facility for rehabilitation. Further conversations revealed that the snapping turtle was found as a hatchling over four years ago and kept in a small container with only about an inch of water to "swim" in. As it grew, the shell now 4" across, the captor's daughter found out and was horrified at the turtle's living conditions. She rescued it and brought it to RWS. Upon arrival at the Sanctuary, it was evaluated for injuries or deficiencies caused by an abnormal food supply for years. Our initial fear of habituation seemed unfounded as it was defensive and fearful of human contact. The main issue we discerned was that it had no muscle tone for swimming, having grown up unable to do it. As such, it was put into a much larger tub with deep water where it practiced swimming before being deemed ready to be released. While in the large tub, it was also supplied with live minnows so that we could confirm its ability to catch and eat live prey. After about a month of swimming and catching live prey, it was ready to be released into a new world - about 4 years late!

Our second tale involves an involuntary interstate trip and fine dining. Our Sanctuary sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, nestled in the woods not far from a large year-round resort. We received a call from a restaurant employee at the resort wondering what to do with a small turtle they had found in their walk-in refrigerator. It seems the restaurant had received a delivery, about three days prior, of crayfish caught down in Louisiana. The turtle was found tucked in with the crayfish in one of the bags. Because it is illegal to transport wild animals across state lines, we asked the Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries to determine the legal course of action. It was determined that we had two choices - either humanely euthanize the turtle or add him to our permits and keep him as an education ambassador. We now have a healthy ambassador striped mud turtle from Louisiana via a local restaurant, named Gumbo. He has already charmed our whole team and is starting to "come out of his shell" in his new, safe home. 

Education is a big component of what we do at the Sanctuary.  These two stories showcase the most common reasons involved in wildlife rescue - the unintentional and the uninformed. Your support allows us to be both wildlife rehabbers and educators, making a difference in the lives of these and many other species. We thank you for your support!

Links:

• Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary