Schönbrunn Zoo – Successful breeding of rare river turtles

Twelve years ago, the Schönbrunn Zoo saw the world’s first offspring, after which a species conservation project was established at the animal house in Bangladesh, led by Viennese experts. Since then, 650 young animals have hatched, the zoo reported on Oct. 21 on the occasion of “Reptile Awareness Day.”

Every fifth species is in danger of extinction
Globally, one in five reptile species is threatened with extinction, more than half of which are turtles. Together with national and international project partners and the local population, two breeding stations have been set up in Bangladesh over the past ten years, in which hundreds of young animals have now hatched.

“Turtles equipped with satellite channels”
“We have already equipped some turtles with satellite channels and reintroduced them into the mangrove forests. In this way we can document their migration routes, investigate their behavior and test whether they find an intact habitat here,” said Doris Preininger, researcher at Schönbrunn Zoo.

According to the Vienna Zoo, the species conservation project for the Batagur river turtle is one of the most successful zoo projects in the world. “First of all, in 2010, we were delighted to see the world’s first offspring of this extremely rare species at the Schönbrunn Zoo. We have now managed to breed hundreds of animals in Bangladesh,” says project leader and head of the zoological department Anton Weissenbacher.

„A large number of fishing nets is considered a great danger“
“However, the large number of fishing nets in the basically suitable habitat poses a great danger to the turtles. Together with the national authorities, we are working on a sustainable solution to ensure the long-term reintroduction of this turtle species,” he emphasized.