This New Yorker's Apartment Is a Turtle Sanctuary

When we think of animal sanctuaries, we usually imagine spacious farmlands or sprawling nature preserves that provide plenty of room for animals to run around in. But wildlife rehabilitator Lorri Cramer has created a very different kind of animal sanctuary: She runs a home for turtles out of her cramped New York City apartment.

In the short video "Hero and Her Half-Shells," Great Big Story interviews Cramer about her unconventional turtle sanctuary. Cramer cares for turtles sent to her by the Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Urban Park Rangers, and even, occasionally, by police officers. Many of them were imported illegally and confiscated, while others show up on Cramer’s doorstep in need of medical attention.

Cramer tells Great Big Story that she’s passionate about turtles, though she’d love to help other animals if she had a little more space: "I promised my husband a bathroom and a bedroom without turtles," she explains. "If I lived outside the city and I had a yard, I probably would be rehabilitating all kinds of wild animals."

Banner Image Credit: Great Big Story, YouTube