More Turtles

As I was driving down to Madison, Ct. I spotted a turtle trying to cross the busy Route 81 in a  blind curve.  I had to drive a little further down the road to turn my car around. I then rushed to aid that turtle. By the time I got back to the curve the turtle had created a traffic jam. Cars going both directions had stopped. I saw a guy with work gloves grab that turtle by the tail and swiftly move it on the other side of the guard rail. The situation was over, the turtle was safe and the traffic jam cleared. I wanted to take a picture of the turtle before continuing my journey. I reached for my iPad and it wasn't there!?!? Darn! I still had my aging cellphone so I took  couple of pictures with it. The turtle was very muddy.

   I returned to my car and drove up the road to turn around. When I got back to that curve that turtle was trying to cross the road again. I stopped the car, took my work gloves from my trunk and went to help the turtle. I grabbed it with two hands on both sides and it started to bristle violently. Her movements were surprisingly powerful. For a moment I thought this might be one of those Ninja Turtles. I tried again and she jumped, bristled and tried to claw me. She could actually reach on the back of the shell and I saw white claws come out of her legs. Now I was sure she was a crazy Ninja Turtle.

It started to look like I am not a man enough to  move this turtle. Maybe I should try to grab the tail. Another car stopped by and a guy came to see what was going on. We tried to figure out what to do because this turtle was determined to cross the road.  He got a cooler from his car and pushed the turtle in the cooler. The turtle got moved safely across the road.

 A day later I found this website http://www.turtlerescueleague.com/index.html that tells you how to help turtles. I wish the guy who grabbed the turtle by the tail had read this warning on the website:

NEVER EVER PICK UP ANY TURTLE BY THE TAIL, IT CAN INJURE THEM VERY BADLY.