Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) officials rescued two alligator snapping turtles from a lake drainage on a DMAP property, according to a department news release.
Exotic Animal Program Lead Colt Mooney responded to a report from a property manager and safely removed the turtles. During the rescue, Mooney collected measurements and DNA samples to send to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for research and conservation efforts.
Alligator snapping turtles are listed as a proposed threatened species. They have faced population declines due to overharvesting for meat markets, nest predation, illegal collection, and accidental capture in fishing gear, the release said. Because they grow slowly and do not reproduce until later in life, their populations can take decades to recover.
Thanks to a quick response, both turtles were returned to the wild. MDWFP encourages the public to report illegal harvesting, bycatch, or other threats to protected wildlife to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tips can be submitted at https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.
