Keep an eye out for Ontario's turtles, who are hitting the road for mating season
Love is in the air for Ontario's turtle population and a group called the Turtle Guardians says they've been busy dealing with the influx.
They're hoping residents will keep an eye out if you're driving on area roads in the next little bit.
The group has been fielding about 120 calls a day from nesting grounds near the road in both cottage country and in Sudbury.
"They are interlinked with this Earth – and so it was a wet and wild June and that was a signal to all the females, all the moms to get out and go nest," said Leora Berman of the Turtle Guardians.
Berman figures each of the turtles will cross the road about 12 times a year, but many are hurt or killed by passing cars in the process.
And he said a busy population doesn't exactly mean a healthy population; turtles are a threatened species in Ontario.
"In southern Ontario, there are portions where we have lost 90 per cent of our wetlands, all the way up to cottage country, we have lost a significant portion of our wetlands and hibernation," Berman said.
"The vast majority of turtles that come in (are) hit by vehicles – that's the most common scenario by far," said Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre's Gloria Morissette.
Morissette has one 41-pound snapping turtle they rescued from Lake Laurentian who's currently battling an eye ailment.
If you have to rescue a turtle, Morissette said it's important that you do it safely and don't change the direction the turtle is heading.
"That doesn't mean that there's a wetland in front of them," she said.
"People shouldn't assume that they're going the wrong way and try to switch them to where the water is because where they try to find next sites is often away from water sources and they'll travel kilometres to try and find and appropriate nest site."
Morissette said it's also been a busy time for bunnies. She's asking people to leave baby rabbits alone because they have not been abandoned by their mothers.
Her centre is now the only one left in the region. After it fills up, the next closest is Parry Sound.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.