Japan Built Genius Tunnels To Save Turtles From Being Crushed By Trains

Turtles may be tough on the outside, but that doesn’t mean they can stand up to a Japanese freight train.

Unfortunately, these hard-shelled creatures were having a few too many run-ins with trains in Kyoto and Nara. The turtles would attempt to cross train tracks and become trapped between railway switches, according to City Lab.

The poor animals would become wedged in between switch points, and once the tracks began to move, the turtles would be crushed by the weight. Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper, reports that turtles have caused 13 train disruptions between 2002 and 2014.

These beautiful creatures are already endangered all around the world. While 13 disruptions might not sound like much, the West Japan Railway Company teamed up with the Suma Aqualife Park to create a separate turtle track of U-shaped lanes lying just beneath the existing train track to ensure no more disruptions took place.

You can watch the Japanese video below, showing the process of these slow and steady animals getting to safety:

Thanks to these turtle tunnels, a lot more turtle lives are being saved. (Also, it’s kinda cute when they plop into the tunnels):

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[Featured Image Credit: Good Static]