PRESS RELEASES

TORONTO, ON, Friday, June 21, 2024: This year, your Toronto Zoo is celebrating our 50th anniversary, and it is a time to reflect upon 50 years of conservation science contributions, celebrating what we’ve done so far and thinking about what we hope to achieve in the future. The importance of our contributions to save wild species and wild spaces was felt yesterday as we released juvenile Blanding’s turtles into Rouge National Urban Park for the 11th year! This collaborative initiative, co-led by your Toronto Zoo’s Adopt-a-Pond Wetland Conservation Program and Parks Canada, is part of recovery efforts to conserve this endangered species in the Greater Toronto Area. This year, the team released 61 two-year-olds, bringing the total number of Blanding’s turtles released to over 700.

What is the Blanding’s Turtle Headstarting and Reintroduction Program, and why is it important?

The Rouge River watershed has changed drastically over the past 200 years, and this has had major consequences for the animals that live there. Historically, this area was home to the Blanding’s turtle, which is currently a federally endangered species. In the 1990s, fewer than 10 adult Blanding’s turtles were found in the area that is now Rouge National Urban Park, which is not nearly enough to support a healthy population. As a result, our headstart program began. 

The Blanding’s turtles released through this program each year are two-year-olds, to ensure they are big and strong enough to thrive in their new environment. Each June, eggs are collected from stable source populations in Ontario, and are then incubated for around two months to ensure proper development, and to keep them safe from predators at such a vulnerable stage. Once they hatch, these tiny turtles spend their first year in the Americas Pavilion where guests can visit them, and after their first birthday, they move to the Wildlife Healthcare Centre to spend their days swimming and sunning themselves under UV lights. Once they reach two years of age, the turtles move to the Wildlife Health Centre’s outdoor enclosures to acclimate to the elements, like daily weather changes, sounds, and sights, to prepare them for release. The release takes place in different locations each year and is kept top-secret to mitigate the threat of poaching.

“We’re so grateful to be working with amazing partners like Parks Canada and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to save this incredible species,” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “We envision a future in which we have a self-sustaining Blanding’s turtle population, and we get one step closer to this each year when we release these two-year olds into their new home. This important species recovery program is a fine example of community collaborations in action to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction.”  

“In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day and those who have steward these lands and safeguarded biodiversity since time immemorial, we are committed to ensuring that wildlife can flourish in the heat of our community,” said the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park. “The Partnership between Parks Canada and the Toronto Zoo is a key step in protecting and restoring the Blanding’s turtle population and their critical habitat. Our goal is to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, including the ecosystems that Blanding’s turtles depend on, and to achieve a full recovery for nature by 2050, ensuring it can be enjoyed by all for generations to come.”

The Turtle with the Sun Under its Chin

Each year in June, Blanding’s turtles are released into Rouge National Urban Park to commemorate National Indigenous Heritage Month in Canada, which is a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Before being released into their new home, each turtle receives a blessing at the Toronto Zoo from an Elder or Indigenous Knowledge Keeper.

“Turtles hold special significance for many Indigenous Nations on Turtle Island (what is now called Canada and the United States),” says Jennifer Franks, Director, Indigenous Relations, Toronto Zoo. “I am proud that your Toronto Zoo works to save this endangered species with our partners at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Rouge National Urban Park.”

Turtles appear in many traditional teachings and Creation stories and play an essential role in the Creation story, as the Earth is formed on its back. To hear the story, click the video below.

How are the turtles monitored in the wild?

You may be wondering how we keep track of the turtles if they were released more than a decade ago? One of the most important aspects of this process is being able to keep tabs on what happens to these juveniles once they leave the Toronto Zoo’s care. Some of the turtles are fitted with small radio transmitters which attach to their shells and allow researchers to monitor their locations, as well as movement patterns, habitat use and behaviour over time. This not only allows scientists to monitor their survival, but also provides invaluable information about their growth rates and how environmental factors like temperature and precipitation play a role in their behaviour.

This is critical information for land managers, so they can restore suitable wetland areas where aquatic animals can thrive. Parks Canada has been working with partners to maintain and restore wetlands throughout Rouge National Urban Park, with the long-term ecological goal of building an interconnected “string of pearls” of wetlands for wildlife like Blanding’s turtles to use.  

Who else is involved in helping the Blanding’s turtles?

This year, 51 of the 61 Blanding's turtles released into Rouge National Urban Park were made available for adoption and naming through the Toronto Zoo Wildlife Conservancy's Adopt an Animal program. A portion of the funds raised by Adopt an Animal donors will be used to purchase equipment for the Zoo's Blanding’s Turtle Headstarting and Reintroduction Program, such as transmitters, chest waders, measurement equipment, etc. Funds raised from these Blanding's turtle adoptions will also support other efforts to save and protect threatened species, like the Blanding's turtle, for future generations.

The Toronto Zoo and Parks Canada also work closely with the following organizations:

How can you help the Blanding’s turtles?

To support Blanding’s turtles and other wildlife conservation work at your Toronto Zoo to save wildlife and wild spaces, you can make a gift today by clicking the button below.

Learn more about the process of getting the Blanding's turtles ready for release day by clicking the button below!