Hi everyone, we received some awesome news today!
We have just become Australia's first private breeders of an endangered species for release back into the wild! Our Mary River turtles (Elusor macrurus) have just been given the go ahead for Australia's first endangered, privately bred hatchlings to be released into the wild!
Today we received the approval from the Project Leader of the Qld EPA (Turtle Conservation Project) Dr. Colin Limpus to release our captive bred hatchlings into a designated area of the Mary River.
In collaboration with the QPWS we have been given authorisation to release all of our hatchlings into the wild for conservation purposes. No zoo or other institution has been able to achieve this thus far! After our fourth clutch hatched today, we have 60 hatchlings due to be released next week with a further two clutches expected to hatch soon! This is above our expectations as we did not receive the necessary environmental cues required to breed this species. This season we had to drain a dam located above our turtle dam using a 3/4 inch hose to simulate the environmental triggers (flows). Additionally we provided extra nesting beaches of river sand.
This is also a first for Australian (possibly the world) private breeders as amateur licensed keepers of any species have never been considered for inclusion in captive breeding/release programs!
Regards,
Craig & Gabrielle AFTCRA Inc.
Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation & Research Association
We have just become Australia's first private breeders of an endangered species for release back into the wild! Our Mary River turtles (Elusor macrurus) have just been given the go ahead for Australia's first endangered, privately bred hatchlings to be released into the wild!
Today we received the approval from the Project Leader of the Qld EPA (Turtle Conservation Project) Dr. Colin Limpus to release our captive bred hatchlings into a designated area of the Mary River.
In collaboration with the QPWS we have been given authorisation to release all of our hatchlings into the wild for conservation purposes. No zoo or other institution has been able to achieve this thus far! After our fourth clutch hatched today, we have 60 hatchlings due to be released next week with a further two clutches expected to hatch soon! This is above our expectations as we did not receive the necessary environmental cues required to breed this species. This season we had to drain a dam located above our turtle dam using a 3/4 inch hose to simulate the environmental triggers (flows). Additionally we provided extra nesting beaches of river sand.
This is also a first for Australian (possibly the world) private breeders as amateur licensed keepers of any species have never been considered for inclusion in captive breeding/release programs!
Regards,
Craig & Gabrielle AFTCRA Inc.
Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation & Research Association
