Help Fund the Return of the European Pond Turtle

The European Pond Turtle Project is a groundbreaking reintroduction plan, set to be the first extinct reptile re-established in Britain…But we need your help!

The pond turtle disappeared as late as the Roman invasion of Britain, around 2,000 years ago. Their disappearance was due to a few key factors; a cooling climate, hunting, and habitat loss. One of the reasons we want to reintroduce them - now - is because we are facing a period of notable climatic warming, especially in Europe, where the turtles' liveable range is shifting quickly northwards… however, the turtles cannot keep up!

As much of southwestern Europe becomes too warm for the species to cope, the UK will become a safe haven for the species. However, the migration of the pond turtle will have to be done with the helping hand of humans. Our mission is to translocate turtles from Europe to a highly suitable, enclosed habitat in England, to test their ability to safely live in our ecosystem.

Below are some of the benefits this species has on the ecosystems it inhabits:

Sediment disruption: by searching for food in the waterbed, the turtles disturb the sediment, circulating nutrients in the water, reducing stagnancy, and in turn, boosting the health of the wetland habitat for a whole host of other species.

Wetland plant seed distribution: they have been known to aid in the dispersal of rare plant species due to their omnivorous diet and large home range.

Freshwater ‘cleaners’: pond turtles are big carrion consumers, removing decomposing organisms from water courses, and preventing often lethal algal blooms.

This project will run for 5 years, with the first year establishing a breeding group of turtles, in one of Europe's largest turtle-holding facilities, where they will be kept outdoors, year-round, to acclimate to the UK's conditions. Each subsequent year we hope to release batches of adult captive-bred turtles, into a large outdoor enclosure, where they will live essentially a 'wild' life. The project will monitor how well the turtles can thrive in the UK, tracking their movements and habits, whilst observing whether the turtles can reliably breed.

A big question we are trying to find an answer to is, "can European pond turtles' eggs incubate in the UK?". If the answer to that question is yes, we believe it will be, a case for a wild reintroduction will be made to the governing bodies.