A request for help, for a good cause - cross-posted from the Lounge.

[Baitball Blogger]

One thing that has come out of Covid isolation is the increased opportunities to connect with nature. Rescuing animals falls in that category. But, if an animal is in great need of assistance, more than an ordinary person can handle, it means finding the right rescue to take over its’ care. It generally takes time, inquiring on social media and following through with phone calls, which is why most people don’t get involved.

Twice in the last year I was put in the predicament of looking for specialists in animal rescue. The first time around I learned a valuable lesson. Not all rescue organizations are properly funded, and even if they are, if it’s a bird or animal that isn’t of special interest, the organization may opt to euthanize, rather than deal with an animal that cannot be returned to the wild. I believe that was the case with my first rescue, which involved a baby crane.

But, I learned quite a bit from that experience. So, when the second opportunity came up and we decided to rescue a soft-shell turtle from the side of the road, I was careful to ask the specialist a few extra questions. And, here’s where the story of Devo, the soft-shell turtle begins.



My husband saw him on a dog walk and based on his observations, I assumed the animal had been run over by a car. On the second day, my husband said it had moved ten feet, so I thought it best to wait. On the third day, he said he walked by and the turtle had not moved from its position, but it did look up at him, and that’s when I knew it was time to jump in the car and take a risk.

The first time I saw Devo, flies were hoovering above his head and I thought he was dead. His shell was glossy black and his face looked mole-like, barely sticking out of his cowl. But he opened his eyes to watch us, so we knew he was still alive. We gently picked him up and I was dismayed to see his feet dangle. Even without any special education, I knew this was not normal.

We took him home and did the best we could to make him comfortable. And then began the process of asking for referrals and making calls to find out who specializes in soft-shell turtles.

Quite frankly, we didn’t know if Devo would make it through the night. But, luckily, we saw improvement the next day. He was moving around in the kiddie pool we set-up for him; and on the second day we connected with a licensed rescue organization for turtles.

Each text we exchanged with Kim, the rescue specialist, reassured me that she was the right person for the task of rehabbing the turtle. I learned that soft-shell turtles in Central Florida have become an animal of interest. There is a virus going on right now within their species and the State is monitoring the spread. It’s a virus that is moving quickly through the St. John’s basin.

Just to make sure that euthanizing the animal was not going to be an endgame if he did test positive, I asked if they would care for him in the hopes of collecting anti-bodies if he survived the virus. She said that, indeed, was the intention. Their organization was one of the few that was even trying to find a cure. The sad reality, however, was that most of the soft-shelled turtles that reached them, usually arrived dead. The virus is a lethal killer. I assured her that Devo was rebounding and he was a fighter.

The next step was to set up a time to drop him off. She said to make it down to Kissimmee before one o’clock because they were going out in the area to release rescued turtles that had been rehabbed. You don’t know how good that was to hear.

So, my husband and I jumped in the car and as we drove down to Kissimmee, we continued to exchange information with Kim through text. She said that, btw, these turtles are protected, so if we were stopped for any reason, just let them know that we were taking the turtle to a licensed turtle rehabber and she supplied her information. (Ironically, those protection laws are probably another reason people are so hesitant to get involved with turtle rescues, but that’s a Florida fact.)

Anyway, we learned new things at the meet-up. Kim told us that Devo is a very young male. His dangling feet concerned her and she checked his underbelly and pointed out marks which suggested road burn. After she gave us a run-down of the tests that they would perform to determine what was wrong with him, we took one last picture of Devo before saying good-bye.

To shorten an already long passage, Devo made it through his first week. The initial bloodwork was “alarming” but they wouldn’t get the results for the virus test until the end of the month. An X-Ray was taken and there were no signs of broken bones or blockage. Yay!

Kim would take a lead test next if she could but they’re still in the process of purchasing a machine that would test for the toxin. There are, however, other toxin tests they could do while they wait. Here’s the interesting forensic angle: If they find a toxin, they will start with the location where Devo was picked up and use satellite pictures to try to determine the water source of the chemical he was exposed to. Certainly, this seems like a good reason to pick up sick turtles from the side of the road.

To help out, I thought I was going to start a go-fund me to try to pay for the lead machine, and for Devo’s care. But when I looked into the go-fund me policies, I thought it best to ask for donations to go directly to the organization. So, here I am asking for donations.

We could only swing a small portion of the $400 of expected care, and the lead machine is in the same ball-park. Just in case Devo doesn’t make it, the money could go to help other turtles. It certainly would make this rescue a positive experience if something good came out of it.

There is a donation button on the organization’s website. Thanks for any help you can provide.

https://www.swampgirladventures.org/

[IbogaProject]

1. I kicked in

I kicked in to that. Best wishes for that Turtle and all the related wildlife rescue efforts.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. We really appreciate it.

It sounds like a turtle rescue organization that deserves to grow.