Good Samaritans Save Over 800 Baby Turtles from New Jersey Storm Drains Using a Homemade Tool

Vanessa Etienne
·1 min read

Lester Block/Courtesy Stockton University

New Jersey residents stepped up to save over 800 baby turtle hatchlings.

On Wednesday, Stockton University revealed in a social media post that its vivarium is currently caring for hundreds of diamondback terrapin hatchlings after Good Samaritans pulled the baby reptiles from storm drains in Ocean City.

"In the past few weeks, Stockton University's Vivarium has welcomed 826 diamondback terrapin hatchlings that hid from the winter temperatures underground in their nest chambers," the Facebook post from the school read. "These spring emergers that survived for months off of their yolk sacs were scooped out of storm drains in Ocean City, N.J."

The university also noted that the rescuers found the stuck reptiles because they were already looking for animals in need. According to the school's post, some of the rescuers regularly look for young turtles crossing the street in spring since the little reptiles can have trouble getting up the curb. Rescuers first spotted the turtles caught in the storm drain because they were on the lookout for creatures that needed help crossing the road.

Courtesy Stockton University

"They crafted a custom scooper from a telescopic aquarium net attached to a bamboo pole and are pleased with how their invention works," Stockton University wrote of how the rescuers safely removed the turtles from the drains.

RELATED: Bear Rescued from Narrow Cage at Bile Farm: He 'Can Live Out the Rest of His Life in Peace'

Lester Block/Courtesy Stockton University

After successfully scooping up all the baby turtles they spotted, the rescuers brought the tiny reptiles to the Stockton Vivarium. The vivarium's staff plans to rehabilitate the turtles over the next year before releasing them back into the wild, in partnership with The Wetlands Institute. The vivarium is already caring for 1,108 terrapin hatchlings and has now reached full capacity with these 800+ new arrivals.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Tennessee House kills bill that would have banned local officials from studying, funding reparations

    Tennessee’s Republican-dominant House on Wednesday spiked legislation that would have banned local governments from paying to either study or dispense money for reparations for slavery. It easily cleared the Republican-controlled Senate last April, but lawmakers eventually hit pause as the House became consumed with controversy over expelling two Black Democratic lawmakers for their participating in a pro-gun control protest from the House floor. Interest in the reparations bill emerged again this year, just as lawmakers and GOP Gov. Bill Lee were in the process of finalizing the removal and replacement of every board member of the state's only publicly-funded historically Black public university, Tennessee State University.

  • UPDATE 1-Vale's net profit down 9% in the first quarter

    Vale, one of the largest iron ore producers in the world, posted a $1.7 billion net profit for the quarter ended in March, while analysts polled by LSEG were expecting a $1.9 billion profit. The main impact on Vale's net profit when compared to the first quarter of last year came from lower realized prices of iron ore, nickel and copper, according to the company earnings release. Vale had already disclosed first-quarter output and sales figures last week.

  • Australia and New Zealand honor their war dead with dawn services on Anzac Day

    Hundreds of thousands of people gathered under a full moon across Australia and New Zealand for dawn services Thursday to commemorate their war dead on Anzac Day, as tensions mount in U.S.-China rivalry in the region. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon attended a service in his country’s largest city Auckland, while Australian Prime Minister Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saw the sun rise at a World War II memorial in the wilds of Australia’s nearest neighbor, Papua New Guinea.

  • Billionaire investor Howard Marks says AI's impact doesn't make it immune to a crash

    "Every bubble starts from widespread conviction," Howard Marks told CNBC, saying that its hard to determine the winners of the AI wave.

  • New California rule aims to limit health care cost increases to 3% annually

    Doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies in California will be limited to annual price increases of 3% starting in 2029 under a new rule state regulators approved Wednesday in the latest attempt to corral the ever-increasing costs of medical care in the United States. The money Californians spent on health care went up about 5.4% each year for the past two decades. Democrats who control California's government say that's too much, especially since most people's income increased just 3% each year over that same time period.

  • Tupac Shakur's Estate Gives Drake 24 Hours To Remove 'Taylor Made Freestyle'

    The song, a diss track directed at Kendrick Lamar, appeared to use artificial intelligence to simulate the voices of two West Coast hip-hop legends, Tupac and Snoop Dogg.

  • Arizona grand jury indicts 11 Republicans who falsely declared Trump won the state in 2020

    PHOENIX (AP) — Eleven Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Donald Trump beat Joe Biden in Arizona in the 2020 presidential election were charged Wednesday with conspiracy, fraud and forgery, marking the fourth state to bring charges against “fake electors.” The eleven people who had been nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claimed Trump ha

  • Trout becomes 1st in majors to reach 10 home runs, but Orioles hold off Angels 6-5

    ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Gunnar Henderson continued his hot streak at the plate with three hits and three RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Wednesday despite Mike Trout becoming the first player in the majors to reach 10 home runs this season. Batting leadoff for the second straight day, Trout got the Angels on the board with a solo shot down the left-field line off Dean Kremer (1-2) in the sixth. It's the third time in the past seven seasons Trout has been the

  • Police release pictures of man believed to have witnessed February homicide in northwest OKC

    Police release pictures of man believed to have witnessed February homicide in northwest OKC

  • CPW doc tracks livestock killed by wolves; shows no claims made since December

    A new document tracking gray wolf depredations was published by CPW on Wednesday, and shows that no claims have been made for lost livestock since December, despite six confirmed wolf kills.

  • Supreme Court weighs Trump’s ‘presidential immunity’ claim. Here’s what that means

    Former president is asking the Supreme Court to award him broad immunity from all criminal prosecution

  • This jump rope club is inspiring their community and beyond

    It's National Volunteer Week, and we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some young students in Lakewood who have been jumping their hearts out for a good cause.

  • 'Abhorrent': Laid-off worker sues Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen after all locations shutter

    A former employee has sued Outfox Hospitality, the company behind Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market, following sudden store closures and layoffs.

  • Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sits out 3rd straight game to open the playoffs

    TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sat out his third straight game to open the playoffs Wednesday night because of an undisclosed injury. Rookie forward Nick Robertson took Nylander's spot in the lineup against the Boston Bruins, with the teams tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series. Nylander played all 82 regular-season games, scoring 40 goals for the second straight season and adding a career-high 58 assists. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl The Associated Press

  • 'One field is not enough': Sports nonprofit looks to grow baseball program

    An Omaha man is working to keep kids involved in sports as concerns about opportunities in the south Omaha area loom. He's looking to grow his nonprofit South Omaha Classic OLG Youth Athletics but said they need more field space.

  • Unanimous renoviction vote sidelines landlord concerns

    More than a dozen people including landlords, lawyers, and tenants spoke at city hall on Wednesday, before planning committee members unanimously voted for City of Ottawa staff to explore the creation of a new anti-renoviction bylaw. Coun. Ariel Troster said she was "thrilled" at the support for her motion which she hopes will help protect the rapidly shrinking stores of affordable rentals. Troster was inspired by Hamilton, Ont., the first in the province to pass a bylaw to protect tenants and p

  • Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson reportedly requests trade after 17.5-sack season

    Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has also requested a trade.

  • 'There's no bad weather, there's only bad clothes'

    The Cleveland Guardians are the hottest team in baseball, playing at times in front of some of the coldest fans.

  • BHP plots possible takeover of rival mining giant Anglo American

    Mining giant BHP is weighing a possible takeover of rival Anglo American in what would be one of the biggest deals of the year.

  • Kansas City barber optimistic ahead of potential new Country Club Plaza ownership

    A Kansas City barber is optimistic ahead of potential new Country Club Plaza ownership