A South Vancouver woman is planning to rescue turtles from Burnaby's Central Park this afternoon, as the City of Burnaby lowers the water level to help government staff find the invasive snakehead fish, believed to be on the loose in the park's lower pond.
Hilary Wilson of HomeFinders Animal Rescue Society, along with another volunteer, was planning to collect the pond's red-eared slider and Mississippi map turtles on Thursday afternoon. Her plan is to get them into temporary homes until they can be checked by vets and placed in permanent homes.
"We've got Val (Lofvendahl) from Reptile Rescue in Richmond, ... donating water space to put them in. We're going to do all their health reviews afterwards and find them homes," Wilson said. "We are basically grabbing them, taking them all to homes and getting them into people's backyard ponds until we can get them to a vet so they can be properly placed."
Wilson estimated there are 23 turtles: 21 red-eared sliders and two Mississippi map turtles, all of which are invasive species and very likely dumped pets.
On Thursday afternoon, Wilson described the scene at the park. The pond was half full, and the turtles were mostly trying to hide underwater, while the koi were getting stressed out as the water levels dropped.
Wilson decided to save the turtles after she heard news that the provincial government was planning to remove invasive species from the pond while searching for the snakehead, a voracious predator that can wreak havoc on an ecosystems once let loose in the wild.
The government's plan was to humanely euthanize the invasive species, including the turtles.
"We were pretty horrified, but I have to say we kind of expected it after all of this happening with the snakehead," Wilson said.
Wilson agreed that red-eared sliders are an invasive species that should not be in the pond in the first place.
"It's not their fault. They were put there," Wilson said. "It's not their fault. They shouldn't have to die for that."
Wilson said the turtles are not better off in the pond anyway.
"In all honesty they are dying," she said.
According to Wilson, red-eared sliders are native to the southeast U.S. and Mexico, and the dumped pets in public ponds don't get enough sunlight, heat or proper food. They develop health problems, like pneumonia, holes in their shells, and vitamin deficiency.
Wilson had watched the turtles in Central Park for years, and she has rescued an estimated 150 from the lower pond. Most she finds homes for, but she estimates 40 per cent die, even after vet care and antibiotics.
Val Lofvendahl of Reptile Rescue, Adoption and Education Society said she has space for about 15 turtles in her pond, and there are others who can take the rest.
"The goldfish and koi, we've got places for them as well. Nothing has to die, except for the snakehead," Lofvendahl said.
Lofvendahl is waiting to hear back from the Environment Ministry to make sure she can legally remove invasive species from the pond.
