Snapper

Michelle says it is World Turtle Day today. I guess this is my contribution. Please follow the link to her blog for some excellent suggestions.




Took a ride the other day through a rural area nearby. As I rode along I spotted a big old snapping turtle crossing the road. She was moving very slowly. Fortunately, I was in no hurry either. I would have stopped in any case, but this time I sat hoping no other traffic would come by, since she was really taking her time. A pick up truck came towards us from the other direction. He stopped too, but he was in more of a hurry than I was.


He got out of his truck, and I warned him in case he didn't know that it was a snapper. He first tried to move it by its tail. No luck there. Then he tried to push it along with his foot. No luck with that either, and out came the long neck to make a pass at the foot that was being so annoying.

Finally the man got a crowbar or something of the kind from his truck. By this time there were at least a half dozen other cars and trucks backed up along the road. He managed to get the turtle moving, and off the road and well into the grass, and we were all on our way again.


I'm always happy to see people stop and try to care for any animal, whether hurt or just confused by traffic. And when it's being done by one good Samaritan, no one else seems to mind, and are in fact inclined to join in with the rescue. I cannot imagine why there are those who act differently when alone. We do see the sad results of their action along the highway.

I hope Mrs. Turtle went on to lay her eggs, or whatever her intentions, in some safe place.


Another good example of animal rescue is the redtailed hawk nest at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. When the hawks first started to build on a window ledge there, office workers reinforced the ledge with a platform under the nest, and watched over them. I believe this is the second year they have built there. The video cam on my sidebar shows it to you. This is a photo I took from the video on the 21st of this month. The chicks are growing fast.