A “baby exodus” is well and truly underway as hundreds of recently hatched turtles make their desperate journey to the water in one Australian city, prompting a plea to drivers to “keep their eyes peeled” as the animals march across roads.
Wildlife rescuer Tessa Esparon told Yahoo News she has been working tirelessly to secure safe passage for the Eastern longneck turtles travelling across busy streets in Perth’s north. In the last few weeks, many have been crossing suburban roads such as Banyandah Boulevard and Scenic Drive near Lake Joondalup. The turtles have had the odds stacked against them, with some having to travel up to 500 metres while dodging cars and birds.
“The humidity in the soil increases this time of year, and it’s a sign for the little babies to make a move,” Tessa said. “You’ll see crows and kookaburras sitting there at the nest or near the location of the nest, and they’ll just pick them off one by one… You’ve got them crossing over roads so they get hit by cars and cyclists… It’s quite devastating.”
Eastern longneck turtles are territorial and tend to return to the same site time and time again for nesting, Tessa explained. However, sometimes these locations, situated in parks and residents’ yards, are far away from the water and the hatchlings have an epic journey ahead of them.
Many baby turtles have died after being struck by cars on the road. Source: Facebook/Tessa’s Reptile Service
Drivers urged to keep an eye out for turtles crossing the road
There have been many reports of hatchlings being struck and killed by vehicles, with harrowing images shared online. Drivers play a vital role in helping hatchlings safely get to the water. Tessa, alongside other wildlife rescuers, is urging drivers to keep their eyes out for turtles crossing the road — and even to step in if they spot any.
“We really ask people to slow down to the speed that they should be travelling at… and to keep your eyes peeled on the ground,” Tessa said, encouraging drivers to park on the side of the road and gently take the hatchlings back to the water’s edge to give them the best chance of survival.
“There’s nowhere better for the turtles to be than back in the water,” she told Yahoo.
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