Video of man smashing turtles in Portland cemetery sparks outrage and police investigation

A video of a man picking up and smashing wild snapping turtles near the ponds at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland on Saturday sparked a storm of outrage on social media and is now being investigated by Portland police.

A police spokesman said the department was investigating but would not provide any further information on the case.

Two turtles in the pond at Evergreen Cemetery on Tuesday. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Ruthann Weist, the police’s animal welfare officer, also confirmed that she had launched a criminal investigation but said she could not reveal details as the investigation was still ongoing.

The person who posted the video on Reddit under a pseudonym wrote that she was walking her dog near the ponds at the edge of the cemetery when she saw a man in a blue Toyota SUV driving erratically, who then got out of the vehicle and stumbled into a pond. The man then picked up a large turtle and threw it onto a granite rock near the pond, the witness wrote.

While the passerby was taking a video with his cell phone from the other side of the pond, the man could be seen standing on the bank of the pond and throwing one turtle at the other twice, causing their shells to bang together.

The short video then shows the man picking up one of the turtles and walking away. The person who posted the video wrote that the man returned the turtle to his car. It was not clear what happened to the other turtle.

The video received over 170 comments and was viewed by over 370 people. Most comments expressed outrage or disgust.

“This is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. So, so, so horrible. I hope this man is shown as much mercy as he showed the turtles. Disgusting,” wrote one commenter.

The largest pond at Evergreen Cemetery on Tuesday. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Wesley Brumbaugh, director of cemeteries and historical projects, said the cemetery knows no more than what is circulating on the Internet.

“We have not done anything other than look for injured turtles, call the appropriate authorities and take them to the veterinarian,” Brumbaugh said. Brumbaugh said early Tuesday that cemetery staff have not found any injured turtles so far.

Evergreen Cemetery is a popular place to enjoy nature and observe wildlife in Portland. Maine Audubon uses it for birding trips and field trips. Sometimes it draws crowds, such as when a rare bird appears. A few years ago, crowds lined the banks of the ponds to watch as otters temporarily made their home in one of them.

Allison and Gavin Glider of South Portland were walking around the pond Tuesday afternoon, something they do a few times a year. They hadn’t heard about the video but said it was disturbing to hear about the incident.

“People come here all the time to watch wildlife,” Allison said. “We were just talking about Gavin’s philosophy of looking at wildlife, but not touching it.”

Gavin said he taught outdoor education at Nature’s Classroom for four years. He said he wouldn’t even use a net to catch frogs.

Allison and Gavin Glider pause to talk to a Press Herald reporter as they walk around the pond at Evergreen Cemetery on Tuesday. They had not heard about the video but said it was disturbing to hear about the incident. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

“Animal cruelty bothers me so much,” Allison said. “I think social media makes animal cruelty so much worse.”

Mark Latti, communications director for the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said the state game warden service also received a report and is talking to people as part of an investigation.

Latti did not say that reports of turtle abuse are common in Maine, but they do occur.

“We have received reports of people intentionally swerving to hit turtles on the road,” Latti said.

A large turtle swims to the shore in the pond at Evergreen Cemetery on Tuesday. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Latti said snapping turtles are a species native to Maine and are widespread in waters throughout the state. The turtles are long-lived, reproduce slowly and lay their eggs in nests that are vulnerable to predators, he said, and removing turtles from a local population is detrimental to the rest of the turtles in that ecosystem.

State law allows people to take up to two snapping turtles from the wild and keep them without a permit under certain conditions. However, it is also illegal to intentionally injure, torture or hit the animals.

“People are allowed to own up to two snapping turtles to either keep alive or consume,” Latti said. “There are some people who do that, but it’s not widespread.”

The city government did not respond Tuesday to a question about whether Portland has different rules regarding the removal and possession of wild animals from city parks.

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