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This soft-shelled turtle was stuck. |
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If you need wildlife removal, click for the National Directory of
Wildlife Removal Companies that I've carefully compiled in every USA city.
In my job as a wildlife control operator, I usually deal with the same 8 types of animals: raccoons, squirrels, rats, opossums, armadillos, snakes, bats, and birds. However, from time to time I get a chance to handle an
uncommon species. I really relish these jobs. The above photos are all of animals that I don't usually handle. If you want to learn more, please read my How To Get Rid of Other Wildlife page.
Saving Private Turtle - Just as I was writing about the gopher tortoise earlier, it reminded me about its close relative the Florida soft shell turtle (also known as the Apalone Ferox) and how I saved one of them. This story goes back to the summers of 2005 and happened on one of my rare off days. I was at my place, relaxing and reading a book when someone knocked on the door. It turned out to be a passerby who had found a poor turtle stuck on top of a fence at nearby lake. In order to get the turtle out of there, the guy set out to find someone who could help and came across my truck that has ‘Wildlife Removal’ written across it.
Although I knew this will not be a paid job, I just love animals too much to care about any remuneration, especially when it comes to saving them from life-threatening situations. And so, I got ready immediately and accompanied the man to where he saw the turtle. Just as he had described, there was a soft shell turtle sitting on top of the fence. It was difficult to figure out how it got up there since turtles cannot climb fences. Maybe somebody played a cruel joke on him.
Since these turtles are known to bite, I was careful about picking it up from the sides of the shell and released it into the water as soon as I had the guy take our picture together. Soft shell turtles are widely reared in Florida, from where they are exported to the Asian markets. They are caught by the help of floating turtle traps, which are specifically designed for the purpose. Apparently, they are thought to be a delicacy in some parts of Asia, although the thought of having turtle soup does not sound appetizing to me one bit!
AAAnimal Control is a privately owned wildlife removal and pest control business, located in Orlando Florida. I deal strictly with wild animals including ones that have died inside houses. I am not an extermination company, but a critter removal
and control specialist. The above photos are some of the many that I've taken in the field over my years of work. Please email me if
you have any questions about the above photographs, or any questions about
wildlife problems or Florida wildlife removal issues.
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