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| Florida Soft Shell Turtle, NASA KSC, May 2010 |
I was driving home from work Friday evening having just passed the veterans hospital when I noticed something sitting on the very left edge of the lane against the median. As I got closer I realized it was a turtle, as I passed I saw it flinch. The turtle was alive! And it didn't look like it had been hit... yet.
I was in the middle of 6 lanes of traffic (3 in each direction). There really wasn't anywhere to stop safely. Do I go back? Where will I stop? The poor thing must be terrified.
I realized I was going to try to save this guy when I finally reached a place where I could think about turning around and somewhat subconsciously started changing lanes to go back, probably a three quarters of a mile down the road. I had a big comforter in the back of my car (my car blanket for picnics or other impromptu uses). Maybe I could help if I could catch it.
As I got back to where I thought the turtle was, I realized I could see it making a dash across the road. To my horror traffic had started down the road again from the light, There were three lanes of traffic bearing down on the turtle and it was in the middle of the center lane. There was no way it was going to make it. The median at this point was wide, flat and concrete. The curbing was sloped to allow you to drive up on it in case of a breakdown. I pulled over on to the median and got out, not knowing if I was there to help, or if I would watch someone clip the turtle before it could make it to safety.
To my amazement, I watched about a dozen cars pass directly over the turtle. As the first car got to it, it dropped down into its shell. Dare I hope it will survive? If no one tries to change lanes, maybe, just maybe it would make it. No one changed lanes. No one even had to swerve to avoid it. After most of the cars passed it jumped up and scurried (well, scurried for a turtle) back toward the median. I only had to wave down one car. He (or She) had made it back to the median.
I threw the blanket over the turtle and waved the last car past. Now what? I thought it was a snapping turtle. Snappers can take a finger off if you give them a chance. Save the turtle of not, I wasn't wiling to loose a finger over it. I tried to flip the turtle, blanket and all, onto its back with my foot. On its back, I figured I could wrap it up in the blanket. No good. He wanted no part of that. So I uncovered the turtle, and spread the blanket in front of it, then I tried to persuade him onto the blanket with my foot. At first he wouldn't budge. I should have realized at that point it wasn't a Snapper, he had a soft shell and a short tail. After a few nudges, he decided that crossing the blanket might be an escape and he made a dash for it. Quick as I could, I tossed the edges of the blanket over the turtle, then grabbed the corners and lifted. I had him.
Now what?
I considered taking him back the way I thought he'd had come. Across 3 lanes of traffic. I decided against that. First, because that meant I was crossing 3 lanes of traffic and second, he might decide to try it again after I was gone. OK, buddy, you're coming with me.
I put the turtle, wrapped in the blanket, into the front of my car, tucked him in and off we went. We live next to the second largest park in the county. Our house is well away from any busy roads. This should be perfect. But it was about 6 miles to the house. About halfway home I saw the blanket start to move. Oh no, you're not coming out yet. So I kept poking the blanket to keep him in his shell.
When I got home I stopped in the driveway. I figure if he'd gotten loose of the blanket, it would be better to have him flop out of the car in the driveway, rather then in the garage. Edward wandered out wondering if there was something wrong with the door. Nope. I've got a turtle. A big one.
We walked the turtle out to the back yard and Edward opened the gate. I set him down on the top of the ditch and spread out the blanket. He was a Florida soft shelled turtle. He had to have weighed 15 pounds or more. He was probably 18 inches from nose to tail and about 12 inches wide. After about 15 seconds he poked his head out of his shell and looked around. There weren't any cars here, but now there were two people, no just one. After a couple of minutes he got up, climbed off the blanket and started down the ditch. Shortly there after he took a right turn, headed down the embankment and splashed into the water. He had "escaped".
I watched him for a few more minutes. After resting a moment, he started moving down the ditch. Mostly I could track him by the sound of crunching grasses and seeing tumbling reeds he knocked down as he passed. After a few minutes I left him to his new home. I hope he likes the park. I know one thing for sure, he won't have any cars to deal with for a long time.
For myself, I can rest in knowing I helped, and maybe saved a life, no matter how small. In that, I find peace. And that is good enough for me.
