By Amber Morrison | Development Associate
Thanks to your support, 15 of the 18 western pond turtles are gearing up to be released back to their home pond this spring! They will be released at the Sondino Pond Sites in Washington where they originally came from as hatchlings. Now, weighing in over 50 grams - some as much as 60 grams - the hatchlings are large enough to avoid being eaten by common non-native predators like bullfrogs. The three runts will stay back at the Oregon Zoo where they will continue to grow.
"We've been doing this for more than 20 years now, and we feel we've been successful in preventing extinction," said Dr. David Shepherdson, Oregon Zoo conservation scientist. "We've made the first step toward recovery — but we're not there yet."
The western pond turtle, once common from Baja California to the Puget Sound, is listed as an endangered species in Washington and a sensitive species in Oregon. Two decades ago, western pond turtles were on the verge of completely dying out in Washington, with fewer than 100 turtles left in the state. Since then, more than 1,500 zoo-headstarted turtles have been released.
Thank you to our Global Giving donors for your help in ensuring the success of this recovery effort for these vulnerable and important animals!
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