This is the incredible moment a wildlife rescuer sprang into action to rescue a dangerous snapping turtle found hiding in the backyard of a New York home.
An unidentified married couple were renovating their garden when the husband noticed a mysterious object moving around in a pile of dirt.
The pair called in the help of animal rescuer Karenlynn Stracher who identified the creature was a snapping turtle guarding her eggs.
Experts warn that snapping turtles can be dangerous and could even 'bite a human finger off' with their strong jaws.
A couple contacted wildlife rescuer Karenlynn Stracher after they discovered a mother snapping turtle was in the backyard of their new home
'If they were going to excavate the area tomorrow, the eggs needed to be properly removed, and the precious lives inside them saved,' Stracher said in her video documenting the rescue.
When laying eggs snapping turtles typically dig a hole and cover it with dirt, before returning to a nearby body of water.
But in this case the reptile was still guarding the eggs while humans were nearby.
In her video, Stracher explained that she needed a 'snow shovel' and a 'big bin' to get the turtle home.
The plan was to scoop it up, place it in the bin and safely put it over the fence.
The rescuer added that she wanted to ensure the snapping turtle would not go into the street or get hit by a car.
Eventually, the snapping turtle made it to the fence on her own before getting stuck in a small gap.
When Stracher tried to help by rotating the turtle, the animal jerked around and tried to shake her off.
But finally, it managed to get through the gap and safely back to the water.
Once the turtle was out of sight, Stracher turned her attention back to the eggs, taking one of the bins and filling it with moist dirt from the backyard.
In total she found an incredible 60 eggs which she covered with another layer of soil - but had to abandon one that was damaged.
Describing what they are like on the video she said: 'They are soft and leathery... They are not like chicken eggs, they're more like ping pong balls'.
She confirmed at the end of the video that the eggs would be going into a breeding program for hatch and release.
TikTok users were quick to flock to the comments section and praise Stracher for her saving the lives of the snapping turtle and her babies.
Stracher found 60 eggs in the dirt pile. Unfortunately, one of them was damaged, and the wildlife expert was only able to safe 59
Stracher confirmed that the snapping turtle made it safely back into the stream, and her eggs are now in a special breeding program
'Wow Karenlynn! What a beautiful video! I couldn't look away. Such an educator you are and an awesome lady. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with us,' a commenter wrote.
'This was truly Amazing. I had no idea one turtle can lay 60 eggs. God Bless you Karenlynn,' another TikTok user said.
