Overview
- A passerby spotted the roughly football-sized turtle on an acceleration lane leading to the A2 near Porta Westfalica and alerted police on Saturday.
- Autobahn police picked up the reptile and transported it to Tierpark Herford, where zookeepers are treating and rehabilitating the animal.
- Officers said they suspect the turtle was deliberately abandoned and stressed that leaving pets violates the Tierschutzgesetz and can amount to animal cruelty.
- Police emphasized the public-safety risk the animal posed to drivers, noting that animals on access ramps can cause sudden swerves or accidents.
- Local outlets reported the unusual rescue and officials used the case to remind residents that police routinely remove vulnerable animals from roads and hand them to animal-care facilities.