PRESS RELEASES

TORONTO, ON, Thursday, July 10, 2025 - This week your Toronto Zoo released 52 Blanding’s turtles into Rouge National Urban Park, bringing our total number of turtles released into the park over the last 12 years to nearly 800. At a time when many Ontario species are under threat of habitat loss and extinction, this program is of particular importance as we work to ensure populations survive AND recover. 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.

The joint goal is to restore a self-sustaining population in the Rouge River Watershed. Our population modeling suggests that a minimum of 20 years of headstarting will be required to achieve this outcome. This year marks 12 years into this 20-year commitment, as we work towards saving a species that was once on the very brink of disappearing from this landscape, here in Toronto.

In February of this year, your Toronto Zoo released an updated Strategic plan as well as an important update to our mission: Connecting people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction. The reality for many species is simple: Out of sight, out of mind, and off the planet. Climate change and biodiversity loss are accelerating and placing new pressures on animal and plant populations, and we know we can help! We are ruthless optimists fueled by the belief that contemporary science and traditional knowledge together can make a positive difference to protect species and the habitats they depend on.

A critical component to our success will be deeper relationships with Indigenous communities. This includes more opportunities for education, conservation, employment and storytelling with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We are brought together through a shared commitment to connecting people with nature and a multi-generational commitment to the planet.

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 Health and Science Centre to spend their days swimming and sunning themselves under UV lights. Once they reach two years of age, the turtles move to 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.

“Conservation is a team sport, and we need more players if we are going to create lasting change” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “This year, your Toronto Zoo collaborated with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to strengthen our dedication to the conservation of Ontario species as Guardians of Wild. Thanks to this ongoing commitment and support, we have made Reverse the Red pledges to reverse declines for globally and locally endangered species such as Blanding’s turtles. These efforts are bringing us another step closer to our vision of a world where people, wildlife, and wild spaces thrive.

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, 41 of the 52 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.

Two of this year’s turtles were named in honour of two Canadian athletes and their incredible achievements. One was named Summer McIntosh after the three-time Olympic swimming champion, and the other named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2024–25 season!

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 also work closely with the following organizations:

• City of Toronto
• Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere
• Laurentian University
• Magnetawan First Nation
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
• Shawanaga First Nation
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
• University of Toronto Scarborough
• EcoKare International

How can you help the Blanding’s turtles?

As your Toronto Zoo continues to look to the future, we are committed more than ever to ensuring these species not only survive but THRIVE in their natural habitats. That’s why your Toronto Zoo is building a new Community Conservation Center—the future home programs like the Blanding’s Turtle Headstart Program. Dedicated to conservation and reintroduction, the new Community Conservation Center will serve as a hub for innovation, education, and collaboration, empowering our community to stand with us in protecting the natural world.

You can make a lasting impact by clicking the donate button below.