YORK REGION ERA BANNER (Ontario) 03 July 05 Turtle back up the creek (Teresa Latchford)
Make it snappy; a turtle needs help!
That's exactly what two Newmarket youths did one year ago when they found an injured snapping turtle.
That same reptile has been nursed back to health and was released into the wild Wednesday.
It was the May long weekend 2004 when Carlyn Wild, 14, and her brother Dylan, 12, discovered a turtle at the swollen creek in their back yard. The animal appeared to have washed up on to the bank and its rear foot was lodged in a tree root holding it under water.
"My daughter said she saw a really funny looking rock and it was moving," said their mother, Linda Vinczer. Dylan managed to free the turtle from the root and dragged him up on the lawn into a large puddle. There, the turtle sat for several days. Nothing was open and the family could not get help. Experts think the animal was hit by a car as it attempted to cross the road.
"It was raining really hard all weekend," Mrs. Vinczer said.
"Even though it was cold and wet, my daughter never left the turtle's side, she followed it if it moved and sat with it when it stopped."
Both youths watched over the turtle, dousing it with water to keep it hydrated and attempting to feed it, although it was too injured to eat.
When the weekend was over, the family decided it was time to get help. Mrs. Vinczer thought someone would come and get the turtle but the family had to deliver it.
"The turtle was more feisty by then so we managed to get it on one of the kids' sleds to get him into the van, which was quite a sight," Mrs. Vinczer laughed.
The family drove the snapper all the way to Midland to the Ontario SPCA Wildlife Centre.
When the family arrived, staff was astounded at the size of the turtle. The children named him Hercules, which only seemed fitting since they have a big dog named Zeus.
Staff treated Hercules and then transferred him to the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre.
"When he came to us, he was dying," said the centre's veterinarian, Dr. Kristy Hiltz.
"He remained in critical care for several months because he was so debilitated," she added.
After having orthopedic surgery that wired his fractured skull and carapace together, a feeding tube was placed into his stomach.
Now, one year later, Hercules is healthy; weighing in at more than 30 pounds. His feet are bigger than most men's hands.
In fact, this Newmarket reptile is now on record as one of the largest turtles in Ontario.
Wednesday, he was reunited with the family that saved his life one year ago as they helped release him back into his natural habitat.
So, all motorists be aware: Turtles cross the road to get to the cooling creek on the other side.
Turtle back up the creek