Stray dog slaughters 23 baby sea turtles just hours after they hatched on Florida beach

A stray dog massacred 23 newly hatched sea turtles on a North Florida beach just hours after the babies emerged from their nests, sparking calls for locals to leash their pets.The tiny carcasses were discovered during a routine survey by the Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol in Atlantic Beach, officials announced in an August 21 Facebook post.The slaughter occurred near Second Street as the vulnerable hatchlings made their first desperate crawl toward the ocean, investigators say.Evidence at the gruesome scene pointed to an unleashed pet as the culprit behind the carnage.“Twenty-three sea turtle hatchlings … found dead near Second Street in Atlantic Beach likely were killed by an unleashed dog as the hatchlings emerged from their nest,” Atlantic Beach officials reported.Details about the specific turtle species killed in the Atlantic Beach massacre were not released by investigators.The incident occurred at a beach located approximately 15 miles east of Jacksonville.The massacre represents a devastating blow to conservation efforts.“Every nest counts because scientists estimate that only one in 1,000 hatchlings reach adulthood,” the city emphasized.All five species of sea turtles found in Florida waters are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.The endangered and threatened sea turtle species in Florida are also protected under state statues.

The waters surrounding the state serve as home to loggerhead, green, leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill turtles.The suspected canine remains at large, prompting Atlantic Beach officials to issue an urgent plea for beachgoers to photograph and report any loose dogs to police immediately.The timing of the attack makes it particularly heartbreaking.Sea turtles typically come ashore to dig their nests on beaches, with eggs incubating for approximately 60 days in the sun-warmed sand, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.“When the tiny turtles are ready to hatch out, they do so...