For the fifth time, the Riverview Park and Zoo in Peterborough has successfully bred one of the rarest freshwater turtle species in the world.
On February 9, another critically endangered Sulawesi forest turtle was hatched at the zoo.
Named Indy, the hatchling is the fifth Sulawesi forest turtle bred at the zoo. In 2014, hatchlings Blinky and Skippy were among the first Sulawesi forest turtles successfully bred in Canada.
“The hatchling is currently under observation by our animal care team,” says Matt Dixon, the zoo’s operational support manager of animal care, in a media release.
“This is another exciting and meaningful step forward for this critically endangered species. Each successful hatch strengthens the population and builds valuable knowledge that supports conservation efforts. The zoo continues to be the only zoo in Canada working with this species and is one of only a few zoos globally to successfully reproduce it.”
Native to the island of Sulawesi off the southeast coast of Indonesia, Sulawesi forest turtles live in cool mountain streams in the forests on the northern side of the island, the only place the turtles are found in the wild.
Sulawesi forest turtles are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, largely due to significant threats from habitat destruction and the illegal wildlife trade.
One of the most mysterious and least-studied turtle species globally, Sulawesi forest turtles are mainly elusive in the wild, with limited observations and knowledge of their life history.
While juvenile turtles primarily live in aquatic environments, adults split their time between the dense forest canopy during daylight hours and the streams during the night.
Sulawesi forest turtles are challenging to breed in captivity as they typically lay only one or two eggs per clutch a few times a year. Successful breeding requires mimicking their natural habitat and providing ample space, as the shy reptiles can be aggressive and are best kept individually (they interact briefly with one another only for mating).
In 2017, Riverview Park and Zoo received the Colonel G. C. Dailley Conservation Award from Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, a national award that recognizes excellence in species propagation and conservation achievement.
“The zoo continues to collaborate with accredited zoological partners to support the long-term sustainability of the species through coordinated breeding programs and conservation initiatives that contribute to global wildlife preservation efforts,” reads the media release.
