It’s been a great year for the Petrie Island Turtle Project. In June, a team of volunteers collected 427 turtle eggs. A whopping 83 percent of the eggs hatched.

Beating the odds

Petrie Island is a provincially significant wetland in the Ottawa River. It’s home to snapping turtles, painted turtles, and northern map turtles.

Before they can hatch, 95 percent of turtle eggs are usually eaten by predators. Skunks, raccoons, and foxes think turtle eggs are a tasty treat. They can gobble up a clutch of eggs in minutes.