ROBESON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Who doesn’t love turtles?
“Box turtles are a species of concern. If we don’t take care of them they will become endangered and if we continue to not take care of them they will become extinct,” said Jean McCarney with Rock Hollow Woods Environmental Learning Center.
Those at the Rock Hollow Woods Environmental Learning Center in Robeson Township love them so much that they’ve taken it upon themselves to help preserve box turtles and educate the community about them.
They don’t want to see them vanish off the face of the earth, but over the weekend, four females were taken.
“We knew that they were there Friday and Saturday morning. Monday morning when the kids came for programming, the four female turtles were missing from their cage,” McCarney said.
It’s not often you hear the term “poachers” in our area but…
“The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is concerned, and they feel as though it is probably poachers that took the turtles. Box turtles will get sold on the black market and shipped to other countries,” she said.
This incident is already causing concern in the community and one person has already offered a reward for the safe return of the turtles.
“An anonymous friend of Rock Hollow Woods has donated a reward of a thousand dollars if the turtles are returned,” said Rachel Ewing , Camp Director.
The kids at the camp are taking it hard.
“They were sad and upset and they look for them every day since looking to see if they’re back,” Ewing said.
The center says if you know where the turtles are, please reach out.
“Please return them please understand that they’re important to the endorsement box turtles have been roaming the earth for two hundred million years and if we don’t take care of them we’re gonna lose them,” McCarney said.