GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Fox 17 got a behind-the-scenes look Thursday at a new partnership between John Ball Zoo and Calvin University that aims to conserve local spotted turtle populations.
Through this project, baby turtles are raised under human care and released into the wild once they are less vulnerable to predators. John Ball Zoo has seen previous success with a similar project aiming to protect box turtles.
This time, instead of being raised at the zoo, the spotted turtles will be taken care of by Calvin University students who will feed them, monitor their growth and place trackers on them before they are released.
"This is a threatened species of turtle in Michigan, a species of conservation concern," said Will Miller, associate professor of biology at Calvin and certified wildlife biologist. "They get to work on the conservation project, but also interact with other professionals in the field. That can provide important mentorship for them and be important for their own professional development as well."
"A big part of this too, is that we just don't know a ton about spotted turtle biology, especially here in Michigan," said Bill Flanagan, conservation manager at John Ball Zoo. "So this will help us learn a lot more about the biology of this species that does need conservation action. It's kind of a unique Michigan turtle."
These turtles are endangered, and because they are so small, the zoo explains that they are often targeted by raccoons. The turtles will be given back to the zoo come spring, and they will eventually be released and tracked in the wild.
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