Saving Endangered Turtles in the Pacific Northwest

Portlanders may feel like summer’s just reaching its peak. But for six western pond turtles reared at the Oregon Zoo, a nearly yearlong stretch of warm days and nights has drawn to an end.

The turtles have spent the past 11 months at the zoo basking in the warmth and light of a simulated summer, and growing large enough to have a fighting chance in the wild. The zoo returned these endangered reptiles to the wild July 29, with the help of its conservation partners and some teens from local youth programs. On June 30, the zoo released 11 of the largest turtles it had been rearing over the winter, and this batch of six will be the last ones for the year.

The turtle reintroduction is part of a collaborative effort by the Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration and USDA Forest Service. As part of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project, conservation scientists “head-start” newly hatched turtles gathered from wild sites, nurturing them at both zoos for about 11 months. In one study, scientists estimated that 95 percent of the turtles released back to sites in the Columbia Gorge survive annually.

Local students from Portland Community College’s Biology and Management of Zoo Animalsprogram and the Oregon Zoo’s Zoo Animal Presenters program helped biologists release the turtles in the Columbia River Gorge. “We like to involve local students and youth programs in these releases whenever possible,” Shepherdson said. “When you actually see a zoo-reared turtle released back into the wilds of the Columbia Gorge, it makes a much bigger impact than if you’re just learning about conservation efforts.”

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. Today, researchers estimate there are more than 1,600. The biggest threat to fragile baby turtles has been the bullfrog. Native to areas east of the Rockies, this nonindigenous frog has thrived throughout the West, driving pond turtles and a host of other small, vulnerable aquatic species to the brink of extinction.

To watch a video about the zoo’s western pond turtle recovery efforts, visit:

bit.ly/OZ_turtle_conservation. 

To learn more, visit

oregonzoo.org/conserve/fighting-extinction-pacific-northwest/western-pond-turtles.