Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle Euthanized After Being Run Over by Recreational Vehicle in North Carolina Nesting Beach

According to the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles in North Carolina, a recreational vehicle on an Outer Banks nesting beach crushed a loggerhead sea turtle. Later, the endangered species had to be euthanized.

Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle Euthanized

The incident took place in the northern Outer Banks' Carova Beach region, and NEST posted on Facebook that the turtle perished as a result.

The driver is being located, according to officials.

NEST reported that on July 9, in the wee hours, a car struck a nesting loggerhead sea turtle. A law enforcement officer searching the Currituck County 4-wheel-drive beaches for injured wildlife discovered the turtle.

Other NEST workers found the recently laid nest with over 100 eggs as the injured turtle began a delicate transit to the STAR Center at the NC Aquarium located on Roanoke Island.

The turtle was photographed with her shell crushed and with injuries so serious that she had to be put to death.

According to officials, the egg nest was undamaged.

The location of the turtle's strike has not been made public, however many of Carova's beaches allow 4x4 driving.

The entire beach, including the parking spaces, turns into a road after nightfall, according to Currituck County officials. The county states that drivers must possess a permit and follow several rules, including a 35 mph speed restriction.

Recreational Vehicles in a Nesting Beach

Photos released by NEST demonstrated how beaches near known turtle nesting areas have been cordoned off to protect the eggs.

However, officials said tire tracks indicate at least one car came dangerously close to running over one of those nests last week.

According to NEST, this heartbreaking loggerhead loss comes after a close call on Thursday morning, July 6, when a car nearly ran over the fence surrounding a nest.

Although the nest cavity proved secure, NEST advises cars to proceed with caution after dark on the 4x4 beach. Reflective tape is used to identify the boundaries of protected nests.

Through September, the season for nesting and hatching continues.

Through the US Fish and Wildlife Service Enforcement Hotline, investigators are looking for information on the drivers involved in both occurrences.

As per NEST, the Endangered Species Act, which carries penalties of up to $25,000 in fines and six months in jail or both, protects loggerhead turtles, which can weigh 350 pounds, News Observer reported.

It is harmful for humans to use beaches where turtles lay their eggs and hatch.

Increasing human presence poses a serious hazard to nesting females. Recreational gear and beach furniture prevent nesting and cause entrapment. Beach driving interrupts nesting, confuses hatchlings, and increases the risk of predators while also causing compaction and erosion, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Turtle Nests

Sea turtle females lay their eggs on the beaches on which they were born. Some species travel tens of thousands of kilometers across the ocean to get to the beach where they lay their eggs.

In quest of a nesting location above the high water mark, they swim into the crashing waves and scramble up the beach.

Up to 100 eggs are laid by the sea turtle, and they spend about 60 days incubating in the warm sand.

The gender of newborn sea turtles is determined by the sand's temperature; cooler sand tends to produce more males while warmer sand tends to produce more females, according to Turtle Island Restoration Network.