Turtle rescue

By Kendall Knowlton

Screech! You just ran over a turtle or found one injured – now what? 

Don’t just leave it there. Call the Taxi Carapace. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) re-announced May 20 a program that helps injured turtles. It is encouraging the public to call when they find an injured turtle and/or become a volunteer.

The Taxi Carapace is a volunteer-based transportation service for turtles in Quebec that safely and quickly transports them to the Centre de réhabilitation des tortues du Québec (CRTQ), an organization that helps turtle conservation and has been around since 2018. It is located at the Centre d’exploration du Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles in Laval. 

Those who run over or find injured turtles are encouraged to call Taxi Carapace and stay with the creature until help arrives, according to Francisco Retamal Diaz, project manager at the NCC. Otherwise, the turtle might try to wander off or be taken by a predator. After providing Carapace with details, the program will send a volunteer to the location of the injured turtle and transport it to the rehabilitation centre.

He also said that there is a vet clinic closer to Gatineau that can stabilize turtles but is limited in its capacity.

The Taxi Carapace initiative began last June, and more than 50 volunteers have since signed up to transport the critters to the rehabilitation centre near Montreal. Without volunteers, it would not work as well, according to Retamal Diaz, adding that public involvement is essential to help the turtles recover. 

Retamal Diaz said that 93 turtles were helped and released last year. 

“Most of the time, the turtles that are found on the road are nesting females, so they have eggs in them. So even if the turtle is dead, they can still harvest the eggs and hatch them and then release the babies where they were found,” he explained. 

So, if you run over one of these creatures or find one lying injured on the side of the road, call: 450-622-1020 x286.

Retamal Diaz said that they are always looking for more volunteers. You can fill out the form to become one at natureconservancy.ca.

 The NCC runs the initiative, which complements Éco-Nature’s turtle conservation initiatives, according to the press release.