Animal Rescue

Working on the roof of the cabin at the Painted Pony Resort is hot work requiring breaks for water and rest.  During one such break to check the water levels in the tank and the erosion features on the south end a turtle in distress was discovered.  It appears that while crawling along the south side of the tank the turtle encountered one of the erosion channels leading into the tank and fell in.  It came to rest upside down and was unable to right itself.  When found it was weakly waving it's legs in the hot sun unable to get a purchase on the sides of the arroyo to right itself.  Upon seeing the turtle in distress and a problem that could be solved immediately I jumped in and picked up the turtle and removed it away from the erosion channels and out to an area of sparse grass in the riverbed away from the hazards.  Then back uphill to the cabin to find the camera and upon returning the turtle was happily munching on green desert plants.  After grabbing a few photographs it was back to work roofing but with a positive in the account balance column for the day.

The full tank by the cabin at the Painted Pony Resort

Erosion feature on the south side of the tank (lower water levels).  The turtle was upside down on the bottom of this 4' deep arroyo.

Desert box turtle back in the grass of the riverbed.