Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons has been overwhelmed with injured turtles this year. Officials at the rehab center say this could be due to increased development on Long Island’s East End.
Turtles can become sick or injured if they are unearthed while hibernating between October and April, or if they are hit by cars when they’re on the move during the summer. They can also get caught in window wells and exterior basement doors.
The team is caring for over 200 turtles. It can take years for a turtle to fully recover before being returned to the wild.
Karen Testa is the facility’s executive director. She said habitat destruction from overdevelopment is a big factor.
“And a lot of times people are just not aware that they’re out there," Testa said. "They don’t realize we live among wildlife. Wildlife has been here way before we’ve been here, and they’re just trying to do what they’ve done for hundreds of years.”
Testa asks residents to contact the center about any sightings during winter months, and do not try to rehab a sick or injured turtle at home.
The large majority of turtles being cared for at the center are eastern box turtles, a species of special concern in New York state.
