‘It is really sad’: Western painted turtles saved from what’s left of B.C. lake

Slow and steady won’t win this race; it’s the fast action from the team behind Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society that has saved 39 turtles.

The Western painted turtles are now in the care of the society after being taken from Frazer Lake in the Upper Mission neighbourhood of Kelowna, B.C.

“The turtles were healthy and all different ages, so we have some in from very small juveniles to sub-adults to large turtles that are fully grown,” said Eva Hartmann, Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society executive director and co-founder.

The turtles were rescued because their home, Frazer Lake, is drying up.

“Every wetland that we can support, I think it’s definitely worth supporting in order to keep what is left, because over 90 per cent of all the wetlands in the province are gone si