Think New York City has a big rat problem? It turns out that there’s an even graver threat to the animal kingdom in the Big Apple than its pizza-stealing rodents.
"Bringing turtles illegally into the country has become big business," laments Lorri Cramer. She’s a former art teacher who lives on the Upper West Side, a ritzy area that doesn’t normally house residents of the more reptile variety.
As the self-proclaimed "Turtle Lady of Manhattan," Cramer has been steadily gaining national attention for her efforts — and not just from the public, either.
"I'm the only wildlife rehabilitator in the city that works just specifically with turtles," she says, visibly delighted to talk about the subject of her work. "I get turtles from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Urban Park Rangers, [and] even by policemen."
She currently looks after 36 turtles in her tiny New York apartment.
Turtles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs, and individually, they're able to outlive even humans. Imagine all the incredible things this species has seen! I'm reminded of Betty White, the 200-pound loggerhead turtle who was recently released back to the wild. There's a sea turtle hospital that feels similarly, and they're always rescuing these majestic animals.
"When I was a child, there was no place for women in vet school," Cramer added, laughing a bit even after she says it. She certainly showed them what she's capable of!
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