Another turtle discovered near Bowring Park, raising fears of ecological damage

It happened again: for the second time in a week, an abandoned pet turtle has been spotted living in the waters near Bowring Park.

Of all people, it was an environmental researcher who made the discovery, a personwho already has experience withthe environmental impact of an invasive species and knows first-hand what can happen when animals often bought as pets are released into the wild.

Jennifer Blundon of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program was conducting a survey of the Waterford River when she caught sight of the turtle Thursday morning.

"We were walking along the river doing some sight assessments," said Blundon,"and we ended up coming across a little blip in the water, which turned out to be a turtle. And it turned out to be a red-eared slider."

The red-eared slider is a popular variety of turtle sold as pets.

It is the same kind as the turtle that was recently discovered living in the Bowring Park duck pond, just around the corner from the spot where Blundonmade her sighting.

Newfoundland has no native turtle species. Blundon wasn't aware of the previous turtle sighting, but through her work with ACAPshe's very familiar with the issue of pets being released into the wild.

"People aren't aware of the hazards that they're causing by releasing pets into the waterways," she said.

"They think they're doing them a favour. However, it actually ends up causing a lot of ecosystem damage over the long term."

After snapping a few pictures of the turtle, Blundongot in touch with Dennis Oliver at the Turtle Rest and Retirement Villa, who successfully captured aBowring Park turtle earlier this week.

The villa is currently fostering more than 60turtles, all of them former pets that were surrendered by their owners. Oliver said turtles can be difficult and expensive pets, and people should think twice before deciding to get one.

Blundon says the fact that two turtles were found in the same area in the sameweek shows the problem could be much bigger than people realize.

"It's something that we don't want to see more of," she said. "As much as this is interesting, it's definitely a reason for concern."

WATCH |Get caught up on all the turtle trouble with CBC'soriginal story on the Bowring Park turtle:

A shell of a story: pet turtle abandoned in Bowring Park

2 years ago

Duration 4:16

When there's turtle trouble, who ya gonna call? In St. John's, it's the Turtle Rest and Retirement Villa. Dennis Oliver and Tanya Constantine are already fostering sixty turtles, but they may have to make room for one more after a turtle was discovered in Bowring Park.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador