A Toronto group dedicated to protecting\u00a0turtles is keeping a closer eye on the reptiles, explaining how they can get disoriented at this time of year with the dramatic change in temperatures.<\/p>\n
The warning comes after Turtle Protectors say they received a call on their hotline Wednesday about a large adult male snapping turtle in High Park who had left the pond and was seen trying to get through a fence. Volunteers responded to pick up the 80-year-old wayward traveller and relocate him to a spot in the park where he belongs.<\/p>\n
Carolynne Crawley, the co-founder of Turtle Protectors, says this is a common time of year to see turtles coming onto land and sometimes getting into trouble, wandering into parks where off-leash dogs can also be a concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time of year, it\u2019s usually a time that turtles will start to go into brumation, a form of hibernation,\u201d says Crawley. \u201cThey may leave their wetlands to go to their winter habitats. What they do is they bury themselves at the bottom, in the mud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crawley adds this is not the first time her organization has crossed paths with this particular turtle, known affectionately as Mick Jagger. She says after previously receiving a clean bill of health, they are concerned about where he wants to go, especially with the wild swings in temperatures this past week which included t-shirt weather daytime highs followed by frost advisories overnight.<\/p>\n
Crawley says it takes about 60 years to replace an adult turtle, adding they are a species at risk. Anyone coming across a similar turtle on land is asked to call the groups hotline for assistance<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tAn 80-year-old turtle in High Park that was helped by Turtle Protectors is seen in this photo. CITYNEWS\/David Zura <\/p>\n \t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/turtle-rescue-1024x576.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791516014_459_google-trusted-badge.png\"){kind=icon}