Labrador turtle has wildlife officers mystified

An unusual discovery in central Labrador over the weekend has wildlife officials scratching their heads in disbelief.  

Officers recovered a snapping turtle from alongside the North West River highway, a unique situation because Labrador has no native reptile species, leaving the turtle's rescuers to wonder how it got there.

Frank Phillips, an officer with the province's wildlife division in North West River, could hardly believe the call that came in last Friday with someone claiming to have found a turtle.

"It's the first one that we know for being picked up in the wild in Labrador, he said.

The region has six species of amphibians, but no reptiles. Phillips said. In fact, the nearest species of native turtles lives more than 1,000 kilometres to the south.

"We certainly know that it doesn't belong here. It belongs to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and even then in the warmer parts of those places, southern Quebec, Ontario. So somebody had to bring it here. I think we're fairly sure of that," he said.

Phillips said wildlife officers are investigating two reports of people releasing turtles in the area, but that happened years ago and he's doubtful that a turtle could survive the Labrador winter.

For now, he said, the mystery turtle is living in a fish tank.

"We've been asking New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, 'Will they take it?' And so far, we have noes from those jurisdictions, so we may have a bit of a problem here," he said.

"A lot of people have become quite attached to it, but we just don't know what do with it at the moment. We're still trying to find some jurisdiction that will take it," he said.  

Phillips now has requests in with two zoos in the Maritimes. He hopes one of them will give the Labrador turtle a new home.