Paint removed from turtles’ shells at Lily Pond

Workers at Mill Creek Park spent some time cleaning up the turtles at the Lily Pond.

Some of the turtles had paint on their shells. We’re told they may have been pets that were dropped off in the Lily Pond at some point.

About six turtles were recovered from the Lily Pond and the paint was removed from their shells. A Facebook post on Mill Creek’s page showed some of the processes it took to remove the paint.

It’s because the paint can be unhealthy for the turtles.

“It’s an organ if you will, similar to our skin. It grows with them and it allows them to absorb minerals from sunlight, so once you cover it with paint they’re obviously not getting that mineral absorption, it can cause some respiratory issues,” said Nick Derico, natural resources manager at Mill Creek Park.

Derico also wants to remind people that it’s against their rules to drop off pets, including turtles and goldfish, into the Lily Pond.

Read the original article at WKBN.