KALAMUNDA conservation and wildlife rescue service Kanyana reported a surge in South-Western long-necked turtle (SWLT) admissions and asked for community vigilance to protect the shelled creatures.

Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre has recorded 19 injured or displaced turtles this year which is an increase of 111 per cent from the nine recorded last year.

The species has begun its nesting migration across Perth’s eastern corridor and Kanyana management committee member Cait Brandstater said most turtles arrived with car-strike injuries or shell fractures, which cause pain equivalent to broken bones in mammals.

“SWLT are particularly vulnerable when they leave the water to lay eggs,” she said.

“They face threats from predators such as foxes and dogs, habitat loss, and poor drainage design that can trap them in concrete culverts.”

Ms Brandstater said Kanyana lacked specialist aquatic facilities to fully rehabilitate turtles and worked with other centres to transfer patients for longer-term care.

She urged residents to drive slowly near wetlands, keep pets restrained, and help nesting females cross roads safely.

“We rely on the public and if you find an injured turtle, place it on a damp towel in a bucket and take it to a wildlife hospital,” she said.

“People can also join wetland clean-ups or report fox sightings to local councils.”

Wildlife photographer and citizen scientist Ian Barlow, also known as “the crazy bushman”, has tracked turtles across 46 wetlands since 2018 and said many populations remain undocumented including the Perth Hills.

He said the City of Kalamunda was a “black hole” for turtle data because much of its wetland system was on private property, making surveys difficult.

“Without proper surveys it’s hard to know where they’re surviving,” he said.

“When people spot a turtle, that whisper of information helps build the map.”

Mr Barlow said funding cuts to the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle program had increased the workload for volunteers maintaining tracking projects.

He encouraged residents to log sightings through the free TurtleSAT app and his community group Turtle Champions of Perth and Surrounds.

“Turtles don’t get the same love as cute animals, but when you see one look up at you, it seems to smile,” he said.

“It’s such a beautiful animal that brings people together and it’s worth protecting.”