Over 20,000 Leatherback Turtle Eggs Crushed by Bulldozers in Trinidad
Posted on July 10, 2012
Thousands of leatherback sea turtle eggs were crushed by bulldozers in Trinidad. Construction crews apparently did not notice they were digging up a leatherback turtle breeding ground when they were trying to divert a flooded river away from a nearby hotel where tourists had gathered to watch the turtles hatch. The Daily Mail says hotel guests were horrified as they watched the injured hatchlings die.
The beach is the densest breeding ground in the world for the protected turtle species. The AP says environmentalists are calling for an investigation as the construction workers were reportedly working unsupervised. The terrible accident could have easily been avoided if the careless crews had been told to avoid the part of the beach containing the buried eggs. Take a look:
You can find out more about leatherback turtles here.