Latest news with #turtle
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Meet Pokey, an undersized Eastern box turtle with a cult following
When she first met the eastern box turtle named Pokey, Cleo Bowen-Wiggins was still in diapers — far too young to recognize she was in the presence of a local celebrity. But like so many others, she was captivated by the creature, sparking an unlikely friendship that endured for years. So there was no question as to whether Bowen-Wiggins, now 15, would be in attendance Saturday for Pokey's 30th birthday celebration. Held at Pokey's home inside the Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium in D.C., the event doubled as a turtle tribute.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Gruesome sight in Aussie park highlights ‘devastation' caused by invasive killer
A gruesome discovery at a popular park in Perth has left wildlife volunteers devastated and frustrated. Not only because it's a tragic sight — but also because it's become far too common. A dead southwestern snake-necked turtle was found in the Beeliar Wetlands, with only the skeletal remains of its head and neck left dangling from its shell. The turtle is one of 436 that were found dead in the area over a 20-month period. The native reptiles are being preyed upon by foxes, an invasive species whose numbers have exploded since their introduction by Europeans in the 1860s. Dr Felicity Bairstow, a coordinator for the Walliabup Wildlife Warriors, fears the turtles face local extinction if immediate action isn't taken. She said there are two major areas that need urgent attention: fox control and water supplementation. In April last year, dry conditions led to Bibra Lake – one of the 26 lakes inside the park – drying out so much the foxes were able to access the lake bed and dig up the turtles. The reptiles hide under the mud in periods of low water levels. Felicity labelled it a "massacre", with an estimated 20 per cent of the turtles' population killed over the course of two days. "It was devastating," she said. "And it was even more devastating, because we thought, 'Wow, something has to be done about this'. And we contacted all the authorities, and we felt like we got a pat on the head that said, 'There, there, never mind, turtle people'. And it just makes me sick in the stomach, honestly, to think that that happened." Fox management program about to launch in wetlands Adin Lang, chair of the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance [PSWMA] and councillor for the City of Fremantle, said while it's difficult to know the exact number of foxes in Perth, it's "very safe to say that the population is enough to be having a significant impact on the population of our turtles". Six councils joined forces to form the alliance in an effort to tackle the problematic predators together. Those LGAs include Rockingham, Cockburn, Kwinana, Fremantle, East Fremantle and Melville. Under the program, six cameras will be installed around Bibra Lake and surrounding areas to monitor fox activity, which will then be followed by trapping. With foxes moving between council zones, Lang said having a combined approach to fox management was essential. "There's an assumption that foxes live in an area, like on one street block or live next to one lake and therefore, it is a responsibility of that local government," he said. "And what we've found is that they're moving between local governments, and that's why the need for the coordinated program is there because it's not their foxes — it's everyone's foxes." While Felicity and her team feel the new program is a step in the right direction, she said it's still "way less and much slower than we would like". "We haven't been briefed on what this program's going to be, apart from putting cameras out to monitor the presence of foxes – which we've been doing for the last 18 months ourselves for nothing – and providing the city of Cockburn with that information. So that is a little frustrating because we feel what is needed is actual on-ground fox control," she said. Council increases budget for fox control and turtle conservation The City of Cockburn told Yahoo they have more than doubled their budget for fox control this financial year, jumping from $20,000 to $50,000. "The combined budget allocation for all turtle conservation initiatives has increased from $150,000 to $220,000," City of Cockburn Service Manager Sustainability Rory Garven said. "The $70,000 increase is attributed to the increase to the fox control budget and a $40,000 contribution towards the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance's Fox Monitoring and Targeted Control Project." As of May 2024, 24 foxes have been removed from the wetlands. A "final control activity" that was meant to take place in June was delayed due to poor weather, but once complete, it will provide more information for an updated report. Mr Garven said the six cameras will be installed in the wetlands this month. "The City has chosen four locations and is in consultation with local volunteers to determine the best location for the final two cameras," he said. "Installation will occur once the locations have been confirmed. It is anticipated that the cameras will be installed this month." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Oldest known turtle sheds tracking device after being freed from aquarium and swims towards RIO
One of the world's old turtles has shed its tracking device after being freed from its aquarium - and is now heading towards the warm waters of Rio de Janeiro. Jorge, a loggerhead turtle, spent 40 years confined in an aquarium in Mendoza, Argentina, and was finally released into the ocean on April 11. The 60-year-old reptile, which was carrying a tracking device, was expected to swim towards Bahía when it suddenly made an unexpected turn and entered the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. Argentine environmental activists monitoring Jorge's movement spotted him in Rio de Janeiro on July 29 before the tracking device stopped emitting a signal. The city of Mendoza released a statement Monday indicating that they would no longer be attempting to reconnect with the popular turtle, which has been monitored for 109 days. 'Jorge traveled between 3,500 and 4,000 kilometers across open sea, moving from his release point to the warm waters of Brazil, in a migratory path considered typical for an adult male of his species,' the city said. 'His navigation skills, appropriate behavior, and adaptation to the natural environment cement this experience as a true milestone in marine conservation.' The device is said to have stopped functioning due to multiple factors, among them being that the battery was no longer serviceable. The connection between Argentine environmental activists and Jorge dates back to 1984 when he was found injured and trapped in a fishing net in the port city of Bahía Blanca. Jorge was transferred to an aquarium in Mendoza, where he was cared for over the years. Activists decided it was time to release him into his own habitat in 2022. Over the following three years, a team of veterinarians, biologists, scientific institutions, NGOs carried out a 'clinical preparation, training, environmental simulations, and intense interdisciplinary work' to ensure that Jorge could survive on his own once again. Dr. Mariela Dassis, a biologist with Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council, was tasked with monitoring the turtle's transition. 'Jorge managed to orient himself, move toward warm waters, and display expected patterns,' Dr. Dassis said in the statement. 'Everything indicates that he performed a typical migration for his species. His reintegration was a true success.' Dr. Dassis knew it was only a matter of time before the tracking device would no longer provide Jorge's location. 'The information we've obtained over these more than 100 days is of enormous scientific value and reinforces the importance of investing in these processes,' she said. José Roberto Santos, a Rio de Janeiro fisherman, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Jorge became the talk of the seas. 'Everyone wants to take a picture of Jorge,' he joked. 'Sometimes they even forget to fish just to see if they can find him.'
CTV News
17-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Slow and steady progress in decade-long project to save B.C.'s only native turtle
Menita Prasad, director of animal care at Greater Vancouver Zoo, poses with a western painted turtle in an undated handout photo. (Michael Jacobsen) Menita Prasad knows that turtles don't rate the same kind of attention from the public as a 'cute, fluffy mammal.' The director of animal care at Greater Vancouver Zoo says that's one reason why British Columbia's endangered western painted turtles deserve special care. The zoo is part of a decade-long project to revive the fortunes of the province's only native freshwater turtle. 'How can you not love a turtle?' said Prasad, describing the western painted turtle's 'beautiful, bright-red plastron,' the underside of its shell. The zoo in Langley, B.C., is halfway through the project to collect western painted turtle eggs in the wild and hatch them, to increase their chances of survival when they are released. Prasad said it's been a bumper year for the zoo, releasing more than 550 of the turtles, more than double the annual average. But there's a long way to go to save the species. The 10-year project began in 2019, although Prasad said the zoo had been releasing turtles before that and had freed around 3,000 of them over the past decade. She said she'd rather not reveal the exact release sites. 'Believe it or not, people will take these animals to eat them,' said Prasad. The turtle is listed as an endangered species by the federal government and red-listed in B.C., meaning they face the highest risk of extinction in the province. In addition to predators, both human and natural, the turtles face competition from invasive red-eared sliders, a turtle species that is larger, breeds more prolifically, and is popular in the pet trade. 'When people don't want (red-eared sliders) as pets, they have released them into our lakes and ponds that contain western painted turtles,' said Prasad, 'Unfortunately, because the red-eared sliders are a bit more prolific, they are essentially outcompeting western painted turtles.' The recovery operation is a joint program with the Coastal Painted Turtle Project and the B.C. government. The juvenile turtles are released when they weigh about 50 grams, about the same weight as two double-A batteries. That's big enough to make them hard to eat for invasive predators, including largemouth bass and bullfrogs — when they hatch, the turtles are only about the size of a toonie, Prasad said. She said the project aims to give the turtles 'that little extra boost in life to get over the tough times when they would normally be preyed upon.' Biologist Aimee Mitchell, a project manager for the Coastal Painted Turtle Project, has been working with the zoo. A report authored by Mitchell says the project aims to recover 10 populations of the turtle and has 'consistently met its objectives.' But it says the work needs to be ongoing. 'Due to the long-lived nature of western painted turtles and their slow reproductive rate it will take further efforts to ensure self-sustaining, healthy populations with the viability to persist into the future,' the report says. Prasad said people need to be mindful of the turtles and their nesting sites on freshwater beaches. She said the turtles have a range of personalities, and some seem reluctant to leave when they are released. 'You put them in the water, or you put them on the shore, and they linger around for a little bit. It's not a quick dash to run and hide,' she said. 'They really look around and check out their area, go for a bit of a swim, and then come back to you, and just to see like, 'Oh, what are you doing? Is it OK for me to go out this way?' And then off they go.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025. Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
CTV News
13-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Muskoka Lakes firefighters help tiny turtle cross the road
Firefighters from the Muskoka Lakes Fire Department spotted a turtle while out in the Waters Point area. Without hesitation, they pulled over their truck to lend a hand. (Muskoka Lakes Fire Dept.) It was a sunny day up north when a small turtle found itself in a big situation… stuck in the middle of the road. Thankfully, emergency crews were close by when they pointed out the tiny guy. Firefighters from the Muskoka Lakes Fire Department spotted the little traveler on Friday while out in the Waters Point area. Without hesitation, they pulled over their truck to lend a hand. 'We found our patient out in Waters Point today,' said one firefighter recording a video of the reptile. Approaching the turtle with care, the firefighter couldn't resist lightening the mood. 'Excuse me, sir, are you having chest pain?' he said, while his teammate gently lifted the turtle from the middle of the road. In the video posted on social media, the Muskoka crew carried the traveler to safety placing it on the other side of the bend in the direction it appeared to be heading. Firefighters are trained to handle emergencies of all kinds, but it's not every day that their patient lives well over a century and has a hard shell.
