Lake of Bays reminds residents to watch for turtles on the road
The Township of Lake of Bays is reminding residents about turtle nesting season and urging caution near wetland areas where turtles may be crossing or nesting.
The municipality says that during an inspection for upcoming road resurfacing on June 18, 2024, crews discovered a snapping turtle laying eggs on the road’s shoulder. This prompted the halt of resurfacing work in that section, marking of the area, and notification of the Saving Turtles At Risk Today (S.T.A.R.T) program.
S.T.A.R.T extracted 27 snapping turtle eggs from the nest, which were moved to their facility for incubation with an anticipated release in August.
The program reports an 80% incubation success rate.