How to Help an Injured Turtle

Injured turtles are turning up everywhere these days, but how can you help them?

The Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island are finding record numbers of turtles run over on state roadways and they want to let you know what to do if you find one too.

Of course being aware of these small creatures crawling across the roads is most important. Stopping them from getting run over would be the most helpful by far.

The wildlife group says they are working with the Department of Environmental Management to prevent accidents, but with nesting season underway these little guys are moving and grooving trying to find new homes to lay their eggs and prevention is sometimes hard.

Unfortunately run over incidents are happening, but that doesn't have to spell the end for these turtles. If you hit one or find one already injured, you can help.

The Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island offered some tips.

1. Try to scoot the turtle across the road in the direction they are moving to help them get to that new home.

2. Bring injured turtles you may find to a wildlife clinic ASAP. Turtles can take a long time to die, so not helping them get care is really just sentencing them to a slow, painful death.

3. Don't try to patch their shell on your own. Glue or epoxy adds extra pain. These injuries need the proper care and medicine clinics can provide to heal properly and painlessly.

4. Don't take turtle babies home with you. They are wild animals that aren't meant to be pets and their parents worked really hard to find them a home and have them in the first place.

If you come across a turtle in Rhode Island, you can call 401-294-6363 to find them help. In Massachusetts there is the Lighthouse Animal Shelter at 508-999-7387.