COMMERCIAL APPEAL (Memphis, Tennessee) 06 February 05 Park seeks volunteers for turtle crosswalk - Reptiles make deliberate trek across busy road twice a year (Wayne Risher)
Why did the turtle cross the road? Well, it certainly wasn't to end up as road kill beneath an 18-wheeler barreling down Riverport Road in Southwest Memphis.
Officials at T. O. Fuller State Park are seeking help from the animal-friendly public to stop the semiannual carnage.
Park manager Markee Tate wants to form a volunteer "Save the Turtles" brigade to cut down on the turtles that wind up squished on Riverport.
Tate scheduled a meeting for prospective volunteers for 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at park headquarters, 1500 W. Mitchell Road. Call (901) 543-7581 for information.
The turtles migrate from McKellar Lake across the road to the park's swampy wetlands each March and April. They return to McKellar and the Mississippi River around September-October.
Tate has seen as many as 10 turtles at one time crossing Riverport, which was built in 1998 to link industrial parks with Mallory off Interstate 55.
With four lanes, a 50 mph speed limit and sporadic traffic of tractor-trailers and industrial workers, the odds are heavily against some of the turtles living to see the other side of the road.
The park is home to about 10 species of turtles, notably river cooters, Southern painted turtles and red-eared sliders.
The turtles have been studied by biologists, who believe many of those killed on the road are reproductive females.
Tate said park officials once installed signs warning motorists of the turtle crossings, but the signs disappeared, apparently the work of vandals.
Ralph Thompson, president of Friends of T.O. Fuller State Park, said the volunteer support group has discussed installing a speed bump or flashing lights.
"Maybe we could get signs blinking during the season, like they have in school zones," Thompson said. "As soon as that migration starts, we want to do something to make people aware of the problem."
Tate said he'd like to see volunteers sign up to work in shifts grabbing turtles and carrying them across the road -- with proper training in safely handling the critters, of course.
Park seeks volunteers for turtle crosswalk