Japanese Railroad Creates Turtle Tunnels

(Photos: Suma Aqualife Park)

Rocket News 24 reports that railroads in Japan have a problem: turtles wander onto their tracks and get stuck between the switching rails. When the switches flip, they fail to close completely due to the turtles' bodies. This causes train accidents.

It's an unpleasant experience for the turtles, too.

For a solution, the West Japan Railway Company teamed up with the Suma Aqualife Park in Kobe. They designed and built tunnels that allow turtles to walk under the rails completely. Since this system was implemented in April, people have spotted at least 10 turtles using the tunnels.