Wildlife Crossings Save Lives

Each year, North American snapping turtles leave ponds and wetlands to lay their eggs. Their instincts are older than our highways. For many, that journey means crossing busy roads that now cut through their habitat.

Last spring, just such a turtle arrived at the Wildlife Center of Virginia after being hit by a car in Highland County. She was carrying more than a dozen eggs, which later hatched and were released to the wild, though her own injuries were too severe to heal.

Stories like hers are tragically common. The Wildlife Center treats hundreds of animals each year after vehicle collisions, but rescue alone cannot solve the problem. Female snapping turtles will keep returning to ancestral nesting grounds no matter the obstacles.

Wildlife crossings can reduce animal-vehicle collisions by up to 90%, giving turtles and other species safe passage beneath roads instead of across them.

Your gift to Wild Virginia will help advocate for wildlife crossings and smarter infrastructure that protects Virginia’s wildlife before tragedy happens. Join us to help create safer passage for turtles and other wildlife across our state.