A massive turtle die-off in Minnesota is still mystifying researchers.
According to the Star Tribune, more than 100 turtles at a federal wildlife refuge in the western part of the state all died at the exact same time, and no one knows why.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials were alerted to the situation at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge and began investigating what could have caused 100-200 painted and snapping turtles in the same body of water to all expire simultaneously.
Specimens are still being collected, and the total death toll could climb even higher before it’s all said and done, and so far scientists are still completely perplexed by what could have caused the tragic situation.
The sea of turtle carcasses lined a half mile stretch of the shore of the Minnesota River, something that researchers have never seen before.
Some of the turtles have been sent for testing to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
