GRAND RAPIDS -- Turtles have slowly walked into hard times around the world and in the state of Michigan.
Two species -- the Blanding's and box turtle -- are both listed by the state as threatened.
"Turtles all over the world, freshwater turtles, are one of the most endangered groups of vertebrates," says Bill Flanagan, Animal Management Supervisor at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids. "They're really declining precipitously."
Ten species of turtle can be found in the state of Michigan, and six of those species are found naturally on the grounds of John Ball Zoo.
"We have a long history of taking care of turtles at the zoo as part of exhibits and conservation projects that we do in captivity, but the park and the zoo are also home to some that live here naturally," says Flanagan.
To help the naturally occurring population recover, animal experts are building cages around the nests of turtles.
"Predators like raccoons and skunks are really good at finding the nests and finding the little ones. They have really increased in population over the years because they do well in human habitation," says Flanagan. "So here at the zoo we definitely see a lot of the nests that the turtles lay here at the zoo get attacked by raccoons and dug up."
Road crossing deaths are also a big factor in the declining turtle population in Michigan.
Flanagan says the public can help turtles cross the road when safe to do so, but advises avoiding the temptation to take them home as pets.
"So especially an animal like a box turtle which is really cute and you see them crossing the roads a lot. The temptation to grab one of those and take it home as a pet is really strong. And you know, it's probably best when you find those animals to help them cross the road if you can do so safely and avoid traffic, and to leave them there."
