By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford Park District is missing a few of its resident guests after someone broke into an enclosure at Lowe-Volk Park over the weekend.
The missing are three snapping turtles which had been removed from their enclosure. The three missing turtles weigh in excess of 30 pounds each. Originally four were reported missing, however the smallest of the turtles was found near the enclosure.
Park District naturalist Logan Masters was using the turtles as part of a program at the park, and he had planned on tagging the snappers and releasing them prior to winter hibernation.
Masters explained that the turtles wasn’t just used for programs but also research purposes.
“Not only are they used for programs like that, but they are also used for research purposes. I do research on snapping turtles, and them (sic) three are the largest I have ever found in Ohio. They’re huge turtles, they are something you don’t see every day,” Masters said.
Masters explained that some of his planned research was to see how the turtles move during the winter.
“I have each one of them notched. It gives me a numbering system so I can tell if we find any turtles I can tell whether that is the turtle we are looking for or not. It does have a notch and that number gives me the weight, the length of shell and width of shell, whether they are healthy, underfed, their shell is deformed or something like that, and I keep track of that,” Masters said. “I keep track of when and where I release them as well as where and when I catch them. So that way I can find out how far these turtles are really traveling.
“Because unlike painted turtles, painted turtles kind of stay in one area. Snapping turtles they are traveling, they always travel, they are constantly moving, and they are finding better and better food.”
Masters hopes that out of these events people realize how important the Park District is to the community.
“I hope out of all of this just that people realize how important things like this park are to this community and it shouldn’t be messed with. We do the best we can to put on programs all the time to teach people about nature to get them involved. That way we can take care of what is around us,” Masters said.
Masters noted that only one other snapping turtle enclosure exists in the state of Ohio, one he put together at Kelly’s Island.
Crawford Park District Naturalist Josh Dyer explained that the turtles were state property.
“I don’t know if it was some animal rights people that they thought they were helping and thought things were cruel and unusual, or if it was someone who thought it would be funny, which it isn’t,” Dyer said. “We have these turtles under educational collection permit through the state of Ohio Division of Wildlife, and these were property of the state in that regard. It is disheartening that such a good thing was turned into this.”
For any information about the missing turtles contact the Crawford Park District, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, or the county’s wildlife officer.
https://soundcloud.com/crawfordcountynow/logan-masters-interview-aug-31-2015mp3
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