It was a happy day at an Iowa Zoo the other day. That is because they were able to release 56 threatened turtles back into their natural habitat. There is nothing quite as sweet as helping threatened animals. Especially when you can help them rehabilitate and once again join the world, stronger than ever. Learn the story of these courageous little turtles.
Happy Day At Iowa Zoo As They Release 56 Threatened Turtles
The Blank Park Zoo celebrated a special day as it successfully released 56 threatened turtles back into their natural habitat. However, they were not sent into the world empty-handed, or empty-shelled? Instead, these 56 one-year-old Blanding's turtles were released with tiny trackers attached to them. Hopefully, these trackers will provide scientists with more information about the species and their whereabouts.
Unfortunately, Blanding's turtles are considered a threatened species. Now, People Magazine shares that "as part of a partnering project between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Blank Park Zoo, and Iowa State University, the agencies worked together to help the population." Additionally, they share that the turtle's parents were native to the Iowa wetlands. Therefore, it makes sense to release the babies back into those same wetlands.
Happy News All Around
While the zoo kept them safe and snug over the winter months, it is finally time for them to be released into the wild. It helped that the zoo didn't allow them to sleep over the winter. Instead, they kept them awake and alert so that they would grow bigger than they would have in the wild. This should help them fend off some of their natural predators that would have tried to swallow them whole.
However, no matter how much preparation is done, those who care for the turtles are still a bit anxious about their release. Karen Kinkead, wildlife diversity program coordinator for the Iowa DNR, shared that she is a bit nervous about sending the turtles out into the wild, and that she hopes they thrive. I think it is safe to say we all hope for the same.
Besides helping the population of Blanding's turtles, this also presents a new opportunity. Oftentimes, it is the adults who are tracked and monitored, not the juveniles, so this will provide a plethora of new data and insights.
