In the early 1980s, a red-eared slider turtle was born in the wild of Missouri. An uncertain future awaited her as she embarked on the perilous journey of survival. Sadly, along the way, she fell victim to something that would change her life — and her form — forever.
It wasn’t a predator, an accident, or an illness. It was litter.
Missouri Department of Conservation
At a young age, the turtle’s shell had become ensnared by the plastic ring of an improperly discarded six-pack holder. Yet, as it gripped her body tightly, the turtle somehow managed to persist.
But as the turtle’s body kept growing, it was cinched in the middle by the litter that constricted her. Each day was a struggle, and her chances of long-term survival in the wild were slim.
Thankfully, hope came in 1993, when she was finally discovered and cut free from the plastic ring.
Missouri Department of Conservation
Since then, the turtle, aptly named Peanut, has lived under the care of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Unable to return to the wild, Peanut has spent the past few decades serving an important role as an educator.
She’s a living reminder of the dangers posed by litter.
“People see her and learn her story, and they get it,” Amy Wilkinson, Peanut’s handler from the MDC, told The Dodo. “She is used in litter campaigns throughout the world.”
Missouri Department of Conservation
Even with the plastic ring removed, it wasn’t clear how long Peanut could survive with her body permanently misshapen. But now she’s reached a new milestone.
This month, the Missouri Department of Conservation held a public celebration marking Peanut’s 41st birthday, dubbing her a “litter-fighting superhero.”
Missouri Department of Conservation
Peanut is still thriving today, as is the important lesson she teaches through her life story.
“She’s not a teenager anymore,” Peanut’s caretakers wrote. “But her mighty message continues to remind people to put litter in its place.”
