Zoo, partners return endangered turtles to the wild

Oregon Zoo-reared western pond turtles are released in the Columbia River Gorge

Summer's just heating up in Portland, but for 23 western pond turtles reared at the Oregon Zoo, a nine-month stretch of warm days and nights is drawing to an end.

Since last October, the turtles basked in the warmth and light of a simulated summer in the zoo's conservation lab, growing large enough to have a fighting chance in the wild. Today, with the help of conservation partners and local wildlife agencies, the zoo returned these endangered reptiles to the wild at the Columbia River Gorge.

As part of the Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project, conservation scientists "head-start" newly hatched turtles gathered from wild sites, nurturing them at the zoo for up to a year. In addition to the 20 wild hatchlings brought to the lab last fall, this year's release includes three turtles that hatched at the zoo.

"Here in the conservation lab, the turtles don't go dormant over the winter," said senior keeper Shelly Pettit. "They experience summer year-round, and in less than a year grow to about the size of a 2- to 3-year-old wild turtle. This gives them a much greater chance of surviving to adulthood."