It only took two decades, but a rare and endangered species of turtle has finally been bred at the San Diego Zoo.
Zoo officials announced the arrival of 41 tiny Indian soft-shelled turtle hatchlings on Monday.
Conservationists at the San Diego Zoo’s Wildlife Alliance had been closely monitoring three adult turtles for 20 years for any signs of reproduction.
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ARE OFFICIALLY ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST
“This is an extremely lengthy process, as turtles can take nearly 10 years to even reach sexual maturity,” according to a press release.
Also, reptiles are known to lay their eggs at night and cover them with dirt, which increases the difficulty of locating a nest.
An Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle seen at the San Diego Zoo on August 16, 2022.
(Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance via AP)
Two nests containing 41 eggs were found during the summer. They all survived.
The hatchings make the alliance the first accredited conservation organization in North America to hatch endangered Indian hawksbill turtles, officials said.
SOME ENDANGERED SPECIES BEGIN TO RECOVER, OTHERS DECLINE AS RESTORATION EFFORTS CONTINUE
“This is an exciting time for us at the San Diego Zoo and an incredible step forward in the conservation of this species,” said zoo curator Kim Gray.
Tortoises, also called the loggerhead turtle, are a large species native to the Indian subcontinent. They are found at the bottom of deep rivers and streams in northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
