Off The Record
Woman Walking Her Dog Finds Dinosaur-Like Creature In Lake — What It Really Was Left Her Stunned
When residents of Cumbria, England, discovered a spiky, dinosaur-like monster swimming in a small body of water close to their homes, they were horrified.
The animal from across the pond, which its rescuers have named Fluffy, is hard-shelled and neither fluffy nor cuddly. Its “nasty bite” can sever a finger with a single snap.
Discover why the small lake in Cumbria, England, is in grave danger from this ancient species by reading on.
A dinosaur-like creature with spiky armor covering its back was spotted by a dog and his owner last week while they were walking along the shores of Urswick Tarns, a limestone-rich area famed for a wealth of flora and fauna.
Unaware of what it was, the individual took a picture of the odd animal and posted it on Facebook in the hopes of learning more.
Denise Chamberlain, a parish councillor from Urswick who has worked in Florida before, was drawn to the role because she knew about the carnivorous animal that can give someone a “nasty nip.”
Speaking with PA Media (through the Guardian) Chamberlain said, “I looked at it and immediately thought, ‘oh goodness, I know what you are.’” Identifying the animal as a juvenile alligator snapping turtle, she added, “These turtles have a natural defence mechanism: when you go near them, they open their mouth.”
After that, Chamberlain embarked on a rescue mission to securely remove the turtle, which had probably been left behind by its owner who no longer wanted to take care of the ferocious animal whose strong jaws could easily break through bone.
Usually found in rivers and marshes in the southern United States as well as Central and South America, the dinosaur-like turtles can weigh up to 200 pounds and have a lifespan of over 100 years.
“These species are invasive, they’re non-native and I knew it was going to upset the ecology of the tarn, which is very finely balanced,” she said of the turtle, who has no natural predators and would clean the tarn of its wildlife. “That type of creature, while it’s not going to breed, could do some real damage to the fish stocks and eat all sorts of local wildlife.”
The rescue
Chamberlain, who had never worked with such an animal before, took great care. She entered the murky waters with a shopping basket to transport him to a new home and safety gloves to protect her fingers.
She said the angry-looking turtle “just sat in the shadows,” his beak resting above the waterline. “It was lurking around the top so it could catch the rays of the sun but [the turtle] stays underwater and breathes.” She added, “It looked like a prehistoric little dinosaur.”
The turtle was easily captured due to the cold water, but not before alerting her captor with her strong jaws.
“Fortunately, because it was quite cold and the turtle itself was quite cold, it wasn’t too difficult to manoeuvre into the shopping basket,” Chamberlain adds.
‘Please don’t abandon’ pets
Chamberlain then took the turtle to Wild Side Vets in Barrow-in-Furness after feeding it raw chicken.
“It’s certainly the first one we’ve seen at the clinic – they are kept in the UK but they’re certainly not a common thing you would see at the vets,” said Dr Kate Hornby, the owner of the clinic and a veterinarian. “It would certainly give you a nasty nip and it could probably do significant damage to a finger or finger end, but at this size, it’s not particularly dangerous.”
When purchasing a pet, Wild Side Vets advises consumers to exercise greater consideration.
“We believe he had been abandoned at the tarn. If you are struggling to keep your reptile, please feel free to talk to us in confidence, no judgement and we will do our very best to help.” The post, which also includes photos of the turtle who’s believed to be about five or six years old, continues, “Please don’t abandon or keep any reptile in suboptimal conditions. We can help.”
Fluffy
Speaking with PA Media, the vet says, “We haven’t been able to identify whether it’s male or female due to its size – but we’re calling it Fluffy for now.”
Chamberlain adds, “I think the name Fluffy is very appropriate – it’s a reference to the creature in Harry Potter. And as someone on Facebook said, it certainly looks like a creature Hagrid would love.”
Locals are expressing their admiration for the turtle and his rescuers on social media in the meantime.
“Fluffy, got to love that name for such [an] unusual creature but beautiful to see and so glad he/she was brought to you to be taken care of,” writes one netizen.
A second shares, “Ahh bless him – so glad he turned up at the right place to find the right people to help him x.” and a third adds, “Wow, what an awesome looking thing, I mean, I wouldn’t want to cuddle him but still, he’s amazing.”
The shelled animal will be sent to a Cornwall wildlife facility this week so that he (or she) may live in better surroundings.
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