The future of the Hunter River turtle is looking brighter, with Aussie Ark reporting there are more of the creatures in the river than first thought.
Hundreds of turtles washed up dead earlier this year, due to reduced water quality during the drought, disease and increased predation.
To save this species, which is unique to the Hunter River, the wildlife sanctuary kicked off a project with the support of Hunter Local Land Services.
Together, they developed captive breeding facilities and started a survey to monitor the numbers post-drought.
Initial results indicate a major increase, with more than 400 turtles found in just four days.
Aussie Ark’s Tim Faulkner is confident of the conservation project confirming, “extinction is not an option for these turtles or other species, acting for species well before they
decline to low levels needs to be the constant goal.”
Further findings of the turtle’s progress will be released in early 2021.
