Just the other day my daughter and I had a misadventure that involved a well-meaning veterinarian, a box turtle, and a brush with the law. About a month ago we had a regular client present us with a box turtle she had found on the side of the road. The unfortunate animal had a beak injury and swollen eyes. Its injuries were probably due to an encounter with a car, so we admitted the turtle. We gave it fluids by injection, antibiotics, and regular warm water soaks. It quickly developed a taste for earthworms, and within several weeks was ready to be released back into the wild. Not wanting to release the turtle back into a dangerous, high-traffic area, I immediately thought of the perfect place to set it free.
Box Turtles: we fix 'em and set 'em free
With my daughter along as an assistant, I left my veterinary hospital with the turtle in hand. We drove to nearby Umstead State Park, a box turtle’s paradise: densely forested, dotted with ponds, and crisscrossed by streams. We pulled into the nearest entrance and slowly drove long the park’s main road. We were looking for safe spot, away from the park road and close to water, which box turtles love. We followed this road to the parking lot at its end and, finding no water for our turtle, turned around and drove back out of the park.
We carried the turtle about six miles to the other side of the park, to an entrance not far from a pond. Since there was no parking close to the trail head, I parked my brightly decorated animal van on the shoulder of the road, right in front of it. I turned on my hazard lights, grabbed the turtle, and the three of us (dad, daughter, and turtle) hiked the half-mile to the pond, which took about 15 minutes. I placed the box turtle on the shore of the pond, half-in/half-out of the water. Perfect! As we hiked back out, I joked with my daughter that we were probably getting a ticket at that very moment. I laughingly told her “No good deed goes unpunished”, and thought how lucky I was not to have a ticket on my windshield once the van was again within sight.
Back at the animal van, I found two park maintenance trucks. Several park leaning workers were their, leaning on the trucks, chatting. I asked if I had blocked the way in or out for these fellows; they assured me not. Knowing that I was not supposed to park where I did, I made some nervous small talk about my turtle rescue effort, and then we left. I was feeling pretty good about myself when, after I had driven about 2 miles, I got pulled over – by the Park Police! There were three Park Police vehicles, two behind my van, and one in front. As a Park Police Officer approached my driver side window, I tried to think how I was going to get out of this parking ticket. I thought to myself, if this guy has any compassion at all, once he hears my story – hears how I nursed that poor box turtle back to health – he would surely give me a break. I’m a veterinarian for goodnessake!
I rolled my window down as the Officer approached, one hand on his weapon.
“Hello, Officer”
“May I see some ID please?”
“Sure”
I nervously handed him my driver’s license. I was about to tell him why I had parked illegally, about my important mission, when he said, “I understand you released a turtle into Umstead Park, is that correct?”
“Well, yes, actually”. I was surprised he already knew about the turtle, then it occurred to me that the maintenance guys had told him what we had been up to.
But, what he said next shocked me!
“Dr. Johnson, are you aware it is illegal to turn animals loose in a State Park?”
“No, but this IS a wild turtle”
“Was it found in this park, because it’s illegal to take animals from the park, too!”
“No, I don’t think so. It was found on the side of the road”
“Where? By who?”
“A Good Samaritan”
“Dr. Johnson, you should know that when you release an animal into a foreign territory like that, it is likely to encounter competition for food and die from starvation!”
Now, up to this point I was just scared. But now I was getting mad. What I wanted to say was, “Oh, Really? Is that what they taught you about box turtles at the Park Police Academy?” I wanted him to realize how ridiculous he sounded. Yes, for a timber wolf maybe, but not a box turtle. The very image of our box turtle, in mortal box turtle combat, having to fight for and protect its feeding grounds was so silly. I really wanted to tell him what I was thinking. But I didn’t.
The officer went back to his car and consulted with the officer in the other car. He returned to my window and asked me why I had been spotted on the other side of the park, earlier in the day. I explained that I was looking for water to release the box turtle close to. He asked if I had ever collected box turtles in the park. I said, “No, absolutely not!” He asked if he could search my vehicle for illegally collected wildlife. I said, “Of course!” and hopped out of the van.
DrDan's Animal Van: could this guy be a poacher
So, there I was, standing on the side of the road beside by my work van with its doors open while two Park Police officers searched for poached reptiles. The pinnacle of my career! My finest hour, to be sure.
After a brief inspection, I was allowed back into the van. The officer told me that the Park was less concerned about releasing a turtle into the park than removing a turtle from the park. But he asked that in the future, if I needed to release one, I should coordinate with the Park Rangers. I asked for Ranger contact information, and then we said our goodbyes.
I learned several things from this encounter. The first: they don’t teach population biology at Park Police Academy. Second: it is not legal to release wildlife into a State Park, whether that kind of animal belongs there or not. Finally: Park Police expect poachers to be driving brightly-decorated animal vans in the middle of the day!
