A large snapping turtle resembling Chonkosaurus was spotted Saturday basking on a chain in the Chicago River.
Could it be the same Chonkosaurus, the giant turtle that captured the city’s heart two summers ago? Or possibly some kind of shell game?
A Reddit user posted a video captured Saturday of the colossal reptile sunbathing next to the Division Street bridge on the east side of the river around Goose Island — the chomping ground of Chonkosaurus in 2023.
“It might not be the Chonk, but it’s definitely a chonk,” one Reddit user commented.
Snapping turtles, although not usually seen in Chicago until June, if at all, are more common than most folks may think. The sightings are also signs of a healthier and cleaner river, experts have told the Sun-Times.
This photo provided by Joey Santore shows a snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago River. Footage of the plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after Joey Santore, who filmed the well-fed reptile, marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus.”
Joey Santore via Associated Press
“Water quality itself is much better, the temperature of the water, how much dissolved oxygen is in the river, how much sewage is in the river,” Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, previously said.
The organization has been working to increase turtle nesting habitat, which consists of loamy soils that are sandy, along the river.
