KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kayla Yarbrough is a busy person these days. As executive director of a rescue called Wild Whiskers, she says she's receiving about 50 calls per day about wildlife in need of help. She says turtles are a particularly common call this time of year.
"Typically, they will travel about a mile in any direction from their main water to mate, or to lay their eggs. They don't typically lay their eggs right next to the water source that they live in. so they're traveling. Unfortunately they have to cross a lot of roadways in the process, so they are out there, and they're getting hit by cars. I am getting so many phone calls about them," Yarbrough said, noting that some turtles are hit intentionally.
"We see that a lot. These are all living beings, and they definitely can feel pain. Please just try to be empathetic and have some compassion for the living beings that are less able-bodied and less fortunate than you to be able to protect themselves. We have to share our planet with them."
Right now Wild Whiskers has 22 turtles in its care. When they arrive, their wounds are flushed out and the turtles are bandaged up. They are given antibiotics, pain medication, and IV fluids. All that happens while the shell itself is being stabilized. Eventually broken pieces of the shell fuse back together as the shell begins to repair itself, but the process takes a long time. One turtle Yarbrough used to demonstrate will be with the rescue for about a year.
"We like to remind people is a turtle is born with their shell. Their shell is part of their body and it grows with them inside of it. Their skeleton is attached to the inside of their shell, and when they get an injury right down the center of their shell, that's where their spine runs. So a lot of those guys will end up with hind-end paralysis," Yarbrough said.
Wild Whiskers has three turtles at the vet that are gravid, which means they're carrying eggs.
"Unfortunately, because they're cold-blooded, it's really hard on their bodies to focus on healing while also growing their eggs, so we are having to induce them, so that they can just focus on the healing, and then I'll take over with incubating the eggs," Yarbrough said.
Yarbrough says if you see a turtle in the road and you want to help save it, there are several things you should keep in mind.
"Please make sure, first and foremost, that it's safe for you to exit your vehicle. Don't pick a turtle up by its tail, because the spine is connected to its tail. It's all connected. Picking them up by their tail could sever their spine," she said.
"Walk them in the direction across the road that they were originally facing when you found them so that they can continue on their journey. You don't want to take them from where they were, even if you think it's not close to water. They know where they're going, so it's just safest to help them cross."
Yarbrough also asks people to not take wild turtles home as pets, and don't put them directly into water because some turtle species don't swim.
If you'd like to help Wild Whiskers continue its life-saving work, you can follow their Facebook page to make a donation. The rescue also has a benefit sale coming up the last weekend of July in Portage. They're looking for gently-used household items that can be sold at the sale.
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