CHICAGO (AP) -
Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and federal officials have launched efforts to
help a threatened species of turtle.
The zoo and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service re-introduced 11 ornate box turtles to their
native habitat at Thomson Sand Prairie and Lost Mound in Savanna in
northwest Illinois.
To help the
population, the turtles’ eggs are collected and transferred to the zoo.
There they are hatched and raised without the threat of predators, including
raccoons, snakes and coyotes.
The turtles receive
unique markings and radio transmitters for research and tracking purposes.
Lincoln Park Zoo
curator Diane Mulkerin said in a statement last week that tracking the
turtles is an essential part of population restoration.