Injured wood turtle returns to the wild after rehabilitation at Laval conservation centre
A wood turtle seriously injured in a road collision has returned to the wild after nearly a year of rehabilitation at the Centre de réhabilitation des tortues du Québec (CRTQ), located at Éco-Nature’s Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles in Laval.
The release of the turtle, named Marguerite, brought together conservation organizations and volunteers working to protect turtle populations in Quebec.
Rescued after being struck by a vehicle
According to Éco-Nature and Tortue Action Mauricie (TAM), Marguerite was found in 2025 along Route 351 in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc with a severe shell fracture believed to have been caused by a vehicle collision.
An employee from Mauricie National Park transported the injured turtle to Laval, where the Centre de réhabilitation des tortues du Québec provided specialized care until she was healthy enough to return to her natural habitat.
Hundreds of turtles injured on Quebec roads each year
The organizations say hundreds of turtles are struck by vehicles on Quebec roads every year, making road mortality one of the greatest threats facing the province’s freshwater turtle species.
All seven native freshwater turtle species found in Quebec are considered vulnerable or at risk at either the provincial or federal level.
The rehabilitation centre is encouraging residents to report injured turtles and assist conservation efforts whenever it is safe to do so.
Public encouraged to report injured turtles
People who find an injured or apparently dead turtle are encouraged to contact the Centre de réhabilitation des tortues du Québec for instructions.
If they are unable to transport the animal to Laval themselves, volunteers from the centre’s “Turtle Taxi” network can help coordinate transportation.
Sightings and injured turtles can also be reported through the Carapace reporting platform.
Conservation depends on public participation
“The seven native freshwater turtle species found in Quebec are all in a precarious situation, and Éco-Nature works toward their recovery across the province with the help of citizens and local partners,” said Alexandre Choquet, Director of Conservation and Education at Éco-Nature.
Geneviève Richard, coordinator of Tortue Action Mauricie and a representative of the Organisme de bassins versants des rivières du Loup et des Yamachiche, said protecting adult turtles is essential for the survival of the species.
“Turtles reach sexual maturity very late in life, so every adult counts,” she said. “If we can also help more eggs hatch and give hatchlings a better chance of surviving and returning to the wild, everyone benefits.”
Based at Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles in Laval, the Centre de réhabilitation des tortues du Québec provides medical care for injured, sick and illegally kept native turtles before returning them to the wild whenever possible.
