Police Rescue Snapping Turtle From Madison Roadway

Police officers in Madison, Wisconsin, rescued a female snapping turtle from a highway after the creature had already had a very lucky escape from a passing vehicle.

According to the City of Madison Police Department, an officer found the snapping turtle slowly moving across Industrial Drive at around 9 pm on June 9. The officer said the turtle’s shell was freshly scraped and that a passing vehicle had likely caused the injury.

The officer tried to push the turtle off the road with a police baton, but it became aggressive. The officer then attempted to slide the turtle onto a plastic sheet, which was torn by the animal’s claws.

When a second officer arrived, he advised that to move a snapping turtle, one must place one’s hands just above their rear legs and lift them up.

This video shows the second officer lifting the snapping turtle and carrying it across the road. Credit: City of Madison Police Department via Storyful