What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre

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Peterborough, ON
Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre

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**CALL 705 741-5000 IF YOU HAVE A WILD TURTLE EMERGENCY** We provide medical and rehabilitative care for Ontario's native turtle species.

Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (home of the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre) is a non-profit, registered charity that operates a hospital for injured wild turtles. Once healed these turtles are released back into their natural habitat. We also do fieldwork & research, education & outreach, and head-start hatchlings to promote healthy turtle populations and stewardship.

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from our turtle education team!! 🎃

Our education ambassadors have been busy preparing a turtle-inspired haunted house! We'd love for you to join us, but beware... along the way, you might discover some scary facts about the dangers our native turtles face!

Crossing roads with no turtle signs!!
For turtles, crossing the road can be a terrifying experience! Turtles often travel across roads in search of nesting sites, food, or suitable habitats! Turtle signs allow drivers to be aware of potential crossings and slow down or stop if needed. Make sure to keep your eyes out if you ever spot these signs!

Invasive Species!!
Non-native species like the Red-eared slider can become a big threat to our native turtles! Invasive species compete with our native species for resources such as food and shelter. They also introduce diseases and pathogens that are harmful to native turtles' health. Combined with habitat loss, this puts even more pressure on our native turtles!

Poaching!!
Did you know that Ontario's eight native freshwater turtle species are all considered at risk? Our native turtles are protected, and taking them from the wild to keep as pets is illegal. It's important to keep our native turtles out in the wild as they help keep our wetlands clean and can contribute to their population!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

10/30/2026

Help us help turtles by donating your used items!

We're looking for:
- Tablets (working condition)
- Women's rain boots (Ideally size 9)
- Foam Mats
We're not picky about appearance, as long as the item is functional! Please email [email protected] to make arrangements.
Thank you, from the OTCC team and the turtles! 🐢

10/29/2026

Last week was Veterinarian Technician appreciation week and we want to give a huge shout-out to the amazing vet techs who have worked with us this summer!

Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, and long days during the busiest season yet. Your commitment to the turtles and their care makes such a meaningful difference in their lives!

Thank you for being such an important part of OTCC, we're so grateful for everything you do! 🐢💚

10/22/2026

Exciting news at OTCC! We are expanding our teaching hospital capacity even more and are inviting veterinarians to apply to the Koval Foundation Veterinarian Internship Program.

This 1-year internship is open to veterinarians with at least one year of clinical experience who want to immerse themselves in turtle medicine at our hospital starting early in 2027. Check out the job posting at ontarioturtle.ca/jobs for details!

10/15/2026

Cozy up this fall with some new and restocked OTCC merch! 🍂🐢

Shop online at https://ontarioturtle.ca/shop/ or in person during our Education Centre hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm | Sun 10am-2pm

We hope everyone has a great week! 💚

10/12/2026

There is so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Behind every turtle we help is a community of people who care - people who give their time, lend a helping hand, offer their support, share our mission, and believe in a future where Ontario’s turtles can thrive. 💚

There are so many ways to support our mission, from volunteering and donating to spreading the word and helping others discover the importance of turtle conservation. Pictured above are just a few of the amazing volunteers who help make our work possible, including our in-house volunteers and Turtle Taxi drivers!

We truly couldn’t do what we do without the incredible support of our volunteers and wider community. To everyone who gives their time, shares their skills, contributes, or helps spread our message, thank you for being such an important part of our OTCC family. Your contributions make a real difference in the lives of the turtles in our care.

To everyone who has been part of our journey, in big ways or small, thank you for helping make the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre so special. Conservation is a community effort, and we’re incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so many people who care so deeply. 🐢

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, filled with warmth, connection, and a little extra gratitude. 🍂

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, please email [email protected] to get in touch with our volunteer coordinator!

10/10/2026

We are open Thanksgiving Weekend!

Come visit our Education Centre this weekend to meet our ambassador turtles and learn about what we do!

Hours:
Saturday, Oct. 10th: 9am-5pm
Sunday, Oct. 11th: 10am-2pm
Monday, Oct. 12th: 10am-2pm

Drop-in visits are welcome during open hours. Interested in a guided tour? Email [email protected]

Our Turtle Hospital hours remain unchanged and we are open from 9am-5pm every day of the week!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

09/29/2026

Hatchling season is still underway!

In September and even into October you may see these adorable small turtles attempting to make their way to water. The best way to help uninjured hatchlings is to put them directly in a suitable waterbody! If you find multiple hatchlings, make sure you split them up (at least 10 meters apart!) when placing them in the water. A suitable waterbody is slow moving, lots of vegetation, and connected to a larger body of water. Rest assured - these turtles are fully equipped to survive by themselves out in the wild!

Did you know that some turtle species can actually overwinter in their nests? This means that the hatchlings will stay underground in their nest until the following spring when the weather warms up again. This fun fact is actually why we encourage people with nest protectors on their property to keep the nest protector on until the following spring!

As always, if you do suspect you have found an injured turtle, call us at 705-741-5000 ext. 9 and keep the turtle in a dry bin with no food. Keep the turtle somewhere safe until you get in contact with our hotline team. We'll walk you through what to do and make arrangements to get the turtle to our centre 🐢

09/28/2026

Join Our Team!

We're hiring for the full time, permanent position of Volunteer Coordinator! The deadline to apply is October 12th. For full details check out ontarioturtle.ca/jobs or see the link in our bio.

09/24/2026

Watch for turtles! Turtles are still on the move in September as they are now on the move to their hibernating locations. Pictured here (slide two) are two of our Turtle Taxi volunteers who are transporting two large Snapping turtles to our centre.

If you find an injured turtle anywhere in Ontario:
- Contain the turtle if it's safe to do so (in a bin, no food or water)
- Make note of exactly where you found it
- Call us 705-741-5000 ext. 9
We'll walk you through what to do and make arrangements to get the turtle to our centre. If you find a turtle outside of our operating hours, please leave a message and keep the turtle somewhere safe until we get back to you.

Have a happy and safe week!

Address

2785 Television Road
Peterborough, ON
K9L1E9

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17057415000

Website

http://ontarioturtle.ca/

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