Rare endangered turtle found on Ontario beach
"We were floored that it was alive, that they had found it, and that it was even there in the first place."
When locals Rick and Heather Kennedy spotted a struggling turtle near their home in Wasaga Beach, Ont., they didn’t hesitate to help.
What they didn’t expect was that it was a Fly River turtle, a very rare, endangered species that dates back 70 million years. Its natural habitat is thousands of kilometres away, in Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
The pig-nosed turtle, also known as the Fly River turtle, is a species of turtle native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea. (Graphic: The Weather Network)
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Neighbour Leigh Hendricks was called over and she had a sense this turtle was different, and in trouble.
Leigh Hendricks pictured with the exotic turtle. (Source: Leigh Hendricks/provided)
"I recognized that it was not from here," Hendricks said in an interview with The Weather Network. "It was not a snapping turtle, and it wasn't something from around here at all. It had [something] like flippers, and and it didn't didn't look well at all, either."
Fly River turtles, also known as pig-nosed turtles, have very distinct features including bulging eyes and a snout, distinguishing them from your average Canadian turtle. And this one had been through the wringer, likely on its own for months.
Experts at Reptilia, a reptile zoo facility, say cases like this one are common: exotic pets being released into the wild when owners can’t care for them.
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Locals Rick (left) and Heather Kennedy (right) were the first to spot the endangered turtle on Wasaga Beach. (Source: Leigh Hendricks/provided)
"It has significant damage to its shell," shared Ashley Maika, Community Engagement Coordinator at Reptilia, who helped treat the turtle. "It had zebra mussels coating its skin all over the top and bottom. And she's underweight, so she's been out there for quite some time."
Releasing exotic pets into the wild can pose serious threats to both the animal and native wildlife.
“[Owners of exotic pets] can't find a home for them, and they do the next thing that they think is best, and they send it outside," she added. "It's no longer their problem. Unfortunately, it is sealing their fate. Without human intervention, they won't make it through the winter.”
Fortunately, this turtle—named “Dinosaur” by its rescuers—has found a new safe home at Reptilia in Whitby, Ont., where she’s being nursed back to health in a much warmer environment.
The turtle has found a new safe home at Reptilia in Whitby, Ont. (Image provided)
"I can't wait until she's out of quarantine so that we can go and visit her," Hendricks shared. "And if she lives a very long life, I believe they live up to 30 years or more, we can visit her every October."