Download the official press release

Last month we highlighted how Australia's catastrophic drought and wildfires were pushing the Manning River Turtle further towards extinction and how our new partner organization, Aussie Ark, was not going to let that happen. What was originally planned as a captive breeding program to serve as an assurance colony quickly turned into an urgent effort to rescue the wild populations affected by this year’s unprecedented bushfire season.

In coordination with the New South Wales State Government, Aussie Ark has been working tirelessly in the field relocating turtles to the last remaining suitable pools. They have also collected three individuals to establish a breeding program at Australian Reptile Park. Without their dedication, this endangered turtle species could have been lost forever.

It has been estimated that over one billion animals have been killed by Australia's recent wildfires, and biologists fear these fires will drive certain species to extinction. Many targeted efforts like these will be essential to helping Australia's irreplaceable species recover from this tragedy. Please consider donating to the Australia Wildfire Fund to make this work possible.

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