Conservationists say they are “shaking with excitement” after the discovery that a critically endangered turtle has laid eggs for the first time as part of a captive breeding program.
Key points:
- A Manning River turtle has laid eggs for the first time in a captive breeding program
- The program was established in 2019 in a bid to save the species from extinction
- The eggs are expected to hatch in a couple of months and the baby turtles will eventually be released into the wild
The Manning River turtle is native to the Manning River on the NSW Mid North Coast, but its populations are severely low, owing mostly to fox and pig predation on nest sites. Following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, conservation organizations Aussie Ark and the Australian Reptile Park launched a program on the NSW Central Coast to build an insurance population and save the species from extinction. Aussie Ark rescued a number of mature wild turtles from the river’s dwindling pools at the time, as well as natural eggs. Hayley Shute of Aussie Ark and operations manager Billy Collett have overseen the breeding program from its inception, and a number of turtles were released back into the wild last year. Shute, Ms.
