Goodbye Mr. Turtle 8-9-08

Well today was a sad farewell to our Turtle that we had for only two weeks. I had pretty much decided that he was a wild turtle and that he needed to be let go, but I needed a professional to confirm this and then to take him to a safe environment where he would be happy and thrive and not be in any danger.



My friends husband is a biologist so when we went over there to see her new baby I took him a long in a basket so J could take a look. Well the WEstern Pond Turtle (only of two turtles native to ORegon) isn't one seen frequently so upon seeing him J couldn't identify him right away without his books, which were at work. So we left turtle to hang in the basket while we enjoyed new baby.



As we were leaving I asked J "so what do you think about the turtle?" He was first to walk out the door and said, "what turtle?" And sure enough some how magically, Mr Turtle had managed to escape out of the basket without tipping it over and get down the patio stairs and off to safety....at least that's what he thought. He is a pretty fast turtle so who knows how far he had gotten, or if he was even just hanging out in a bush, hiding somewhere, but he was gone. I was sad because I was afraid he might not make it to safety. Getting hit by a car or picked up by some other person dumb enough to think he was a pet.



Maliyah was sad because our only pet was gone. I explained to him that he wasn't really a pet turtle and he wanted to go back home to his home at the pond. Of course then she wanted to see his pond and visit. I assured her that at sometime we would get another pet, and one that we KNEW the species so that we KNEW the care that it needed so that it would last a little longer.



Good By Mr Turtle and Take CAre!