VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Another 28 western pond turtles were released back into the wild Wednesday near Beacon Rock in the Columbia River Gorge about 35 miles east of Vancouver.
The turtles were raised from eggs at the Oregon Zoo to give them a head start.
The Portland zoo and the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle have been taking part in a program since 1998 with the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the imperiled species.
Officials say there were fewer than 100 western pond turtles in the Columbia River Gorge when the program started. Now the number is close to 1,500.
The Woodland Park Zoo plans to release another batch of turtles on August 3 at a refuge in Lakewood.
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Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com
