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'That was my main concern:' Macon man worried construction will harm long-lived turtle

Macon-Bibb County construction workers are working on fixing drainage issues off Roff Avenue, but one property owner is worried about the turtle living in the creek

MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County construction workers are working on fixing drainage issues off Roff Avenue, but one property owner is worried about the turtle living in the creek near the construction.

Marvin Epps calls out to the creek behind his property at the old Willingham Cotton Mill. 

"Come on, Methuselah. Get up from down there," says Epps. 

He is trying to get his pal to pop his head out of the water.

"He's about two-and-a-half, three feet," says Epps. 

A turtle is hiding in this creek. Epps tries to take good care of him.

"First time I met that turtle was on this little sandbar, and I fed him some lettuce and broccoli," says Epps. 

Epps has watched over the turtle for years and believes he is an old-timer.

"The oldest living resident of Bibb County," says Epps. 

When city construction workers moved in, Epps got a little worried about his turtle friend.

"I talked to the operators on the machines to make them aware of the turtle that was here," says Epps. 

The creek is a detention pond. It helps drain storm water.

Macon-Bibb Public Works Department came to clean up the area's brush and trash as part of Georgia Environmental Protection Division regulations.

Macon-Bibb County spokesman Chris Floore says the construction helps keep close-by areas from flooding if it rains too hard. 

We asked wildlife specialist Austin Dean if construction will hurt the turtle's home.

"He's going to be perfectly capable of taking care of himself, by looking at the pictures, so he has been around a long time and knows how to survive," says Dean. 

Epps believes this turtle has many years on its back -- that's actually how you tell their age, from the amount of rings on their shell, which is hard to tell from a distance.

"Where he didn't get to really grow very much because he wasn't eating much, so that would make it more difficult to get a real accurate reading on a turtle as far as age goes," says Dean. 

Dean says this particular turtle is a snapping turtle, and as long as they don't mess with the creek, he should be fine. 

"That was my main concern, was, 'Where is my turtle?'" says Epps. 

As for Epps, he just wants to keep his turtle's home safe.

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