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Woodland Park Zoo Helps Washington Pond Turtles Beat The Odds
Seattle, WA - Spring may be behind us, but pipping and hatching are still happening at Woodland Park Zoo where approximately 95 rare western pond turtles have hatched. The hatchlings, about the size of a quarter, were from nests collected from wild refuge sites in Pierce County and the Columbia River Gorge. More eggs remain at the zoo in incubation. As part of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) round up and deliver hatchlings, or nests, each season to Woodland Park and Oregon Zoos to improve the turtles’ chance of survival in the wild. The zoos head start and nurture the newly hatched turtles for about 10 months when they are large enough to escape the large mouths of bullfrogs. The hatchlings are housed off exhibit where they reside throughout the winter where they can grow in safety. They will be released back into the wild next summer. The Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is a long-term collaborative effort among Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to prevent the species’ extinction. Habitat degradation and disease still are problems, but the biggest threat to fragile baby turtles is the bullfrog. The non-native bullfrog, native to areas east of the Rockies, has thrived throughout the West, driving pond turtles and a host of other small, vulnerable aquatic species to the brink of extinction. To help restore these rare pond turtles to their natural habitat, recovery workers take to the field each year. Transmitters are attached on adult female western pond turtles and the turtles are monitored every two hours during the nesting season to determine their nesting sites. The nests are protected with wire “exclosure” cages to help prevent predators from eating the eggs. In the fall, the eggs or newly hatched turtles are collected and taken to the zoo facilities. Unlike wild turtles, zoo turtles are fed throughout the winter, so by their summer release, the 10 month olds are approximately as big as 3-year-old turtles that grew up in the wild. The goal of the recovery project is for enough young turtles to survive in the wild without head starting, but as long as the non-native bullfrog poses a threat, the head starting programs at the zoos are critical to establishing new populations. The Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is one of Woodland Park Zoo’s Partners for Wildlife conservation initiatives, an expansion of the zoo’s efforts and resources in proven field conservation projects. The zoo currently partners with 38 field conservation projects in 50 countries around the world. For more information about Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation efforts, visit www.zoo.org. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting international standards for zoos all over the world. The 21st century zoo is helping to save animals and their habitats in Washington state and around the world. By inspiring people to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future. |
By Gigi Allianic
Western pond turtles were once common from Baja, Calif. to Puget Sound, including the Columbia River Gorge. However, loss of habitat, disease and predation by non-native species such as bullfrogs decimated their numbers. They were on the verge of extinction in Washington in 1990, with only about 150 turtles left in the wild. The state listed the species as endangered in 1993.
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tiffany
tiffany
q455923354
q455923354
We are continuing our transition to energy-efficient LED lights. The lights used for the dancing tree show this year are all LED and will use only one-third the power used last year.
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http://www.eluxurywow.net/
Unusual to have three snow leopard cubs
Congratulations to ABQ BioPark and the proud cat parents on the birth of three snow leopard cubs. That's fantastic news and we look forward to these three playing an important role in snow leopard survival breeding and also helping educate people about their endangered cousins in the wild.
Snow leopards live in some of the most extreme environments on earth - in high altitudes and freezing temperatures. If we don't do a lot of work with communities and governments in snow leopards 12 range countries, these beautiful cats may be extinct in the wild in our life time.
Sibylle Noras
Founder and Publisher
“Saving Snow Leopards” website. See how conservationists and zoos are working to help these rare and elusive cats avoid extinction.
http://www.snowleopardblog.com
Love penguin fluffballs.
I especially liked if you go to the zoo's homepage and click on the info about naming the baby, the winner says she'd like to be able to tell her dad that a penguin was named after him for his birthday. Adorable!
If you have any interest in reading a new blog, featuring conservation of adorable animals and their habitats, please check out my website...
Conservation:Cute
http://conservationcute.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
World Oceans Day
For more information about World Oceans Day and a list of other events in your area you can visit www.WorldOceansDay.org
Elephants
Asome news on the new baby! I agree with everyone here on the fact that animals should not be in captivation. If you want to check out a really cool place in Thailand where you can care for elephants check out http://www.elephantstay.com this place is a sanctuary for retired working elephants, it's an amazing place and they do so much good for the animals who live there. I went a few months ago and it was amazing.
Kimberly Juchnowski
Publisher, http://www.tikikiki.com
zoo animal diet's
It's ridiculous to try extrapolate zoo animals diet to human beings, and it flies in the face of all science of the last 30 years that looked into nutrition and health research. Maybe Rudy Socha was being sarcastic? I hope so.
response to starseed
I fully agree with you when it comes to the captivity of orcas. These animals live considerably shorter, unhealthier lives than they normally would have in the wild. I am disgusted by what I have seen at Sea World. They claim to be trying to educate people on the animals when really it is all nothing but a circus with the animals being made to perform to attract customers. I am a little more on the fence however when it comes to some other species of dolphins, such as the ones they keep at Vancouver Aquarium. While I do not support the capture of wild dolphins, I do recognize the fact that there are species that actually live longer and perhaps healthier lives in captivity than in the wild. One of the neat things at the Vancouver Aquarium is that none of the dolphins were captured for the purpose of entertainment: they were all animals that were rescued after getting caught and injured in fishing nets and are unable to return to the wild due to their injuries. I have seen the shows and the aquarium are truly focused more on educating visitors than trying to entertain them at the animals' expense.
Christian's Award
I know that Christian is dedicated to her aquarium job and to the rehab of sea turtles. I am proud of her.
Dry Tortugas National Park
The seashore, our accredited Summer Learning Adventure Camps merge scientific exploration Dry Tortugas National Park with hands-on fun and learning. Campers investigate marine habitats, create ocean art projects, learn about careers in oceanography, and combine the science and sports of surfing and snorkeling, all while making new friends and memories.
hey
http://www.deafmatching.com is an online community for deaf, ASL and hearing-impaired friends and singles!
Have fun with photos, message boards, chat, blog and more.
Don't support it anymore
I think we should move on from having dolphins in captivity now - we all know this isn't good for them.
diabetes
diabetes
pacaya samiria national reserve
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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