New Homeowner Surprised to Find a Blue Turtle in Her Backyard
When you move into a new home, you expect to make some surprising finds. Of course, these typically involve decor choices the former owners made (or home repairs you wish they would have hired a professional for).
But for one Campbellsville, Kentucky, homeowner, her new home brought a colorful surprise: a blue turtle. The homeowner, who was identified as a woman named Venitia, found the little turtle in her backyard shortly after moving into the house, according to an Instagram post from the Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center.
She quickly realized that the turtle, who has been named Pickett, wasn’t actually supposed to be the unusual color. Instead, a neighbor informed her that the previous owner had intentionally done this to the turtle, giving her multiple coats of paint to change the color of her shell.
The new homeowner reached out to the wildlife center for help, and they quickly jumped into action. Now, Pickett is doing so much better, even if she is still a little blue.
Pickett Was Painted Several Different Colors by the Former Homeowner
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Venitia told the wildlife center that she reached out to her neighbors after discovering the unusual turtle in her yard. She quickly learned that Pickett wasn’t the only turtle to get painted. According to the post, there was also a box turtle that had been painted white, and another one that had been painted red.
“Even more upsetting—the neighbor believes Pickett has been living with this paint on her shell for around two years,” the post continued, noting that a layer of red had also been found under the blue.
The Paint Was Bonded to the Shell
The rehabbers got to work and tried to get the paint off of the shell, but they quickly learned that there were multiple layers on her shell. “The paint is now extremely hard and completely bonded to her shell,” the post continued, noting that it hadn’t begun flaking or peeling at any point.
“Because we don’t know what type of paint was used, removing it isn’t as simple as scrubbing harder or reaching for paint remover,” the wildlife center continued. “We have to be careful not to cause even more damage while trying to help her.”
Pickett is Getting a Happy Ending
The turtle may have been put through the wringer (figuratively speaking), but she’s expected to make a full recovery. In fact, Venitia says she’ll return to the wildlife center once Pickett’s been fully cleaned up so that she can make the two-hour trek back to her home, returning the turtle to the only place she’s ever known.
Additionally, Venitia has told the wildlife center that she’ll keep an eye out for the red and white turtles so that she can also bring them in to get cleaned up as well.
Some People Shared Why the Homeowner May Have Done This
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While the post explained that people should never paint a turtle’s shell since it’s an extension of their body and not a “canvas,” there were some people in the comments who said that they thought the previous homeowner may have had their heart in the right place.
“Well-intended but misguided people do this to avoid running the turtle over with a lawnmower because they don’t know the shell is alive and needs to be in contact with light and air,” one person wrote. “Probably the prior owner was badly misinformed rather than a monster.”
Turtles getting run over by lawnmowers is fairly common. In fact, the Wilderness Trail Wildlife Center posted a story about a different turtle that had been “clipped” by a lawnmower, noting that they had to treat the wounded animal with antibiotics, pain medication, and even collagen to help facilitate her recovery.
Still, it sounds like a layer of paint isn’t much better for a turtle’s prognosis, especially when it’s something as thick and impenetrable as whatever was used on Pickett’s back.
