Did you know that the clips on the backs of bras can be used to save a turtle? Sounds a little far-fetched, but it is actually true.
According to Kennan Freitas at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, a group that spend most of their time with a team of injured turtles, the eyelets are what the rescue needs. They act as a little fixator for the turtle’s shells. Freitas added:
“80 percent of them are hit by cars. The other five percent are hit by boats, the remaining are environmental. It’s when it rains. That’s when they’re moving to lay eggs, so when it rains, we get a ton of turtles in.”1
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More injuries happen in the summer and sometimes the shells are shattered when the turtles come in. The team uses glue, tape and bra clasps to repair the wounded reptiles. Freitas explained:
“It’s just these little ingenious things that people have created in the past, that we can use today to help animals out. You basically wire the shell back together. You can recycle something that would go into a landfill. And I mean, they’re helping a turtle. Who wouldn’t want to help a turtle?”1
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They fasten the wire that holds the broken part of the shell together with the bra clips, making it a sustainable and affordable fix for the nonprofit.
According to Freitas, when it is time to return the turtles back to the wild, they wear the glue down a bit and the clasps pop right off, making the shell good as new. What a great idea!
If you would like to help them out by sending them your old bra, contributions can be sent to:
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue
P.O. Box 1484
Indian Trail, NC 28079
