Over 2500 hatchlings have been released in the river with more to be added to the supply
OXFORD COUNTY - It's Turtle Time!
Species at Risk Biologist Scott Gillingwater says it's been a record year for the spiny shoftshell turtles thanks to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Species at Risk Reptile Team's efforts. "We've had a few hundred hatching every week over the past 2 - 3 weeks. So we've already released about 2 500 hatchlings and last year we'd released 2 700 total and we've still got a number of nests that we're hoping to reach. Maybe 3 500 hatchlings, maybe even 4 000 hatchlings put back into the Thames River."
Although not all of these hatchlings will make it all the way to adulthood, it's a big step in the right direction since there is only thought to be 1 000 - 2 500 adult turtles left in all of Canada.
The effort to save the turtles has been going on since the 1990s, but using an incubator has helped the project to become even more successful. Even though the project is flourishing, Gillingwater says it's always at risk of being shut down due to funding problems. "Again this project is always at risk of being lost because of limited opportunities for funding so if there are any individuals that have the means that they have an opportunity to contribute, you know that is an incredible advantage to us and the species we work with."
The UTRCA recently received a sizable donation from a woman named Karen Auzins and Nature London to help keep the project afloat and hire on a Species At Risk Research Assistant for the season.
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