Why dozens of turtles march through this Connecticut dry cleaner every year

How did the turtle cross the road? In Middletown, Connecticut, with the help of a dry cleaner.

Middletown is home to a Best Cleaners, which has become an unofficial part of staff member Jennifer Malon’s job to protect turtles from arguably the most dangerous stage of their migration: two lanes of tarmac.

Malon and other staff help mother turtles cross the road in front of the company and have them follow the path to the marsh where they lay their eggs, which happens to run through the building. Once hatched, the babies make it through again and the staff helps them avoid the human-paved death trap that separates them from the pond they live in.

“It was all marshland here before the building was built,” Malon recalled As it happens host Nil Koksal.

“So we thought that since we’ve kind of taken a piece of their home from them, we feel a little obligated to at least try to help those we can cross over.”

She has only been with the company for five years, but says herding the turtles has been going on for more than a decade.

According to Matt Dionne, the cleaner’s regional manager, the adults begin to rumble in late spring, and babies usually hatch a few months later.

What to do if you encounter a turtle while driving?

David Seburn, a freshwater turtle specialist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, says it’s great to hear about the work of the Best Cleaners staff.

“It would be very easy to do nothing. So it’s very rewarding to see people taking care of the wildlife,” he said.

Becoming roadkill is a major threat to turtles, he said, whose natural response to the passing cars actually puts them in more danger.

“If a turtle crosses the road and a car comes by, a turtle’s reaction is not to run, because turtles can’t run,” he said.

“Their response is to freeze in place and pull their arms and legs and go back into their shells.”

That means a tortoise spends more time on the road, increasing the chance of being hit by a car.

For drivers who might see a turtle crossing the road, Seburn says they can pick them up and take them to safety. He advises people to first stop up to the verge and get on the road safely.

“You certainly shouldn’t run onto a busy road,” he said. “You just get killed yourself.”

Once it’s safe and the turtle is secured, move it in the direction it was already going, he says, not back where it started.

“If you put it back to the side it came from, it may turn around and cross the road after you leave.”

Among the turtles that pass through Best Cleaners are Oriental Painted Turtles. Those crossing the road to lay eggs are probably eight, nine or 10 years old, Seburn says. If they can survive the journey, they can live for decades.

Malon hopes that with all the attention she and her fellow turtle herders get, people will lend a helping hand to turtles making their way across the road.

It’s not just turtles that come through Best Cleaners – there are customers too. Malon says they don’t mind handing over their delicate fabrics among the cold-blooded travelers.

“They’re actually really happy with it,” she said. “I’m sure they took pictures.”

She estimated that the adult turtles that come through are about the size of a shoebox, while the hatchlings can be about the size of a quarter. But the people who tower over them always keep an eye on them.

“We’ve never stepped on it or run it over,” confirmed Malon.