Endangered Freshwater Turtles Prepare for Wild Release

‘Wild hardening’ prepares this cohort for our most ambitious world-first turtle re-wilding event in Aussie Ark’s history

Conservation organisation Aussie Ark is busy preparing almost 100 endangered Hunter River and Bell’s Turtles for wild release this spring, with this ‘hardening for the wild’ including transfer to outdoor ponds, weaning off human contact, foraging for natural food, developing predator awareness, and adapting to changeable weather and water conditions.

In an unprecedented animal husbandry exercise of this scale, Aussie Ark has transferred dozens of juvenile freshwater turtles from the hatchery at Conservation Ark to large outdoor habitats. All these turtles were laid and hatched at the facility from wild-sourced adults. The eggs were carefully incubated, and the hatchlings spent the first few months of life in custom-made aquaria building size and strength.

Monthly health checks – involving weighing, measuring, and body condition scores – monitored the progress of every single individual. When the hatchlings were ready, the transfer to the outside facility was executed, in large single-species’ groups.

Conservation Ark Ranger Kaitlin Murphy directed operations and is “beyond thrilled” with the progress of the turtles.

“There’s no better job in the world than preparing an endangered animal to return to the wild!” Ms Murphy said.

“The Hunter River and Bell’s Turtles taking part in this historic re-wilding effort are two of three endangered freshwater turtles in Aussie Ark’s breeding and re-wilding program. Season after season, for five years, the organisation has celebrated reproductive success…and Conservation Ark is now at maximum capacity. The turtles need to go home!”

In the wild, these native reptiles are being decimated by habitat loss, water pollution, climate change and feral predation. Nesting sites are dug up by feral pigs and foxes, and baby turtles are devoured as fast as they hatch. All three species face imminent extinction.

Aussie Ark’s insurance population cuts out the feral threat, by safeguarding eggs and nurturing hatchlings until they are big and strong enough to evade predators in the wild.

In spring, the organisation will stage the largest re-wilding of endangered freshwater turtles in its history. In one release event, 12 Bell’s Turtles and 85 Hunter River Turtles will be returned to the rivers where they belong. This will be a world-first wild release for Hunter River Turtles and a world-first for Bell’s originating from a captive-bred population.