A resident recently posted the following to Craigslist:
We found a VERY LARGE male red eared slider turtle in Silver Lake in Wilmington. Chances are, some yahoo released it into the lake. RES Turtles are not indigenous to this area and should never be released into the wild. Anyway, I have this big guy in a 55 gallon tank with a basking rock and heat lamp. If he’s yours and he was genuinely lost, please contact me. If you WANT a huge RES Turtle, please contact me.
A quick fact check finds that red-eared slider turtles are, in fact, (1) not indigenous to the northern United States; (2) the most popular pets in America; and (3) considered one of the most invasive species due to pet owners releasing them into the wild. As strange as it may sound to find a pet turtle at a lake, this Craigslist poster knows what he or she is talking about!
This resident can only be contacted through their Craigslist post. Click on “Reply” in the top left corner.
Wilmington Apple 