Dozens of baby snapping turtles that were found on the side of the road near Beaverton are getting a new lease on life.

Members from Scales Nature Park saved 80 eggs from the side of the road in June, the largest discovery they’ve ever made. Now three months later, the turtles have been reintroduced back into their habitat.

“I'm kind of excited actually because I've cared for them for so long,” says Kelsey Crawford, a staff member at Scales.

Turtles are in decline across all of Ontario. In fact seven out of eight species are now at risk, including snapping turtles.

“As good as it feels to be putting all of these hatchlings back into the wetland, I know that not all of them are going to survive.”      

Crawford says racoons and foxes pose a threat, but it's the human factor that hurts the most.

“We cut their lives short when we run them over. It's a huge problem; it's the single biggest threat to turtle populations in Ontario.”

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry recommends people protect wetlands on their property to help save the snapping turtle population.