Roadside fences show promise for reducing Minnesota turtle fatalities Turtle populations have been falling for years, in large part due to traffic. April 6, 2021 3:41pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Four small chain-link fences have saved about 100 turtles a year from being crushed to death on Minnesota roads.
The fences, installed over the last three years, have cut mortalties by as much as 85% at popular turtle crossings, showing they may be a relatively cheap and effective tool for bringing the state s turtle populations back. The ones that are still getting hit are the really small hatchlings that can fit through these half-inch gaps, said Tricia Markle, a wildlife conservation specialist for the Minnesota Zoo. So we re adding a finer mesh screen and think we can even keep out the really small turtles.