Blanding's Turtles Raised In Captivity Set Free In DuPage County

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL -- Each still small enough to fit into the palm of a human hand, 37 Blanding's turtles were set free one-by-one into the marshy waters of the DuPage County Forest Preserve. The turtles, which are considered endangered in Illinois, had been raised in captivity with their growth and progressed monitored by the Forest Preserve District of Will County before being released Friday.

According to forest preserve officials, the female Blanding's turtles nested in captivity after mating out in the wild. This helps give the eggs a chance to hatch and the baby turtles a chance to grow without being eaten by prey, hit by cars, or taken by poachers, real dangers that have compromised the local Blanding's turtle population.

Natural Resource Technician Joshua Frushour said he found an empty Blanding's turtle shell outside of a muskrat den on the day he released the babies, according to a news release from Will County Forest Preserve. "It's a real life danger," Frushour said.

The partnership between DuPage and Will County Forest Preserves helps to give the baby turtles a fighting chance.

After they were born, the baby turtles were fed and tracked by Will County Forest Preserve employees who kept an eye on their weight and growth while in captivity.

Facility Supervisor Chris Gutmann, who ran the Blanding's turtle program, said in a news release, "Some liked thawed frozen fish and shrimp. They loved crayfish. We keyed in on what they liked. We tried to get them on prepared turtle diets too, and we found they grow quickest when we could get that in their diet, but not all of them accepted it."

Before the turtles were set free, they were equipped with microchips and their shells were notched and marked. These measures help forest preserve officials track the turtles and also serve to discourage poachers.

On release day, the small Blanding's turtles were carried deep into the swampy waters and strategically set free far enough from one another to have room to grow and thrive. The location of the release was not disclosed as a way to further protect the endangered species.

If they're able to live a full and healthy life, these recently released Blanding's turtles could be around for another 60 years.

Watch the Blanding's turtles get released into freedom:

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