CURRITUCK COUNTY, N.C. — A nesting loggerhead turtle was euthanized last week after it was struck by a vehicle driving on the beach in the Carova area of Currituck County.
Volunteers were able to save and relocate its nest of over 100 eggs.
“Our hotline got a call that there was a nest that was run over on the beach," said Tony Parisi, president of the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, or NEST.
Parisi said incidents like the one on the morning of July 9 are uncommon but concerning.
“The goal is to increase the population, so they're taken off the endangered species list. And so anything that destroys a nest, that's an issue,” Parisi said.
Loggerhead turtles are a protected species that includes populations considered threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Parisi says another nest was narrowly missed Thursday by a vehicle, and three sets of tracks were spotted around the perimeter of the nest. He says tampering of any kind with a nest has serious consequences.
“Anything that would affect what would happen naturally," Parisi said. "So anything that would affect those eggs hatching and emerging.”
Penalties for tampering with a nest can include a $50,000 fine and jail time.
NEST reminds beachgoers to be careful when driving on the four-wheel-drive beaches in Currituck County as turtle nesting season continues through September.
The organization also wants drivers to follow posted speed limits and give wildlife extra space.
Authorities ask anyone with information about the loggerhead struck July 9 to call the NEST hotline at 252-441-8622. That number also can be used to report a turtle in distress.