Critically endangered western swamp tortoises are getting a new lease on life at the Perth Zoo, with 65 having been bred in the past year and 73 older animals released into the wild.
Most recently, two groups of tortoises were released into habitat in the State’s South-West in the hope of developing a new self-sustaining wild population.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and researchers from the University of Western Australia’s School of Biological Sciences released 16 tortoises east of Augusta and a further 57 into a swamp at nearby Scott National Park.
The Department said some 48 tortoises were fitted with radio transmitters and data loggers to allow scientists from the University of Western Australia to continue to track the animals’ movements and collect valuable data on the outcomes of the release.
Minister for the Environment, Amber-Jade Sanderson said the translocation effort followed a pilot program conducted in 2016 and 2018 in the South-West to determine whether these types of habitats were suitable for the species.
“This could provide a solution to the effects of climate change on the swamp tortoises’ natural habitat near Perth,” Ms Sanderson said.
“These habitats are protected and managed for biodiversity conservation and are included in the Department’s Western Shield Program, which conducts routine fox control to protect vulnerable native wildlife like the western swamp tortoise from the threat of predation,” she said.
Ms Sanderson said the breeding and releases were a testament to the hard work of the staff at the Department, Perth Zoo and all scientific researchers and volunteers involved.
