It's a regular sight in the Bay Area to see a turtle sunning itself on a log. But when a volunteer in the Muir Woods National Monument spotted one particular turtle, they knew they were witnessing something special.
SFGate reported on the find, which was a northwestern pond turtle known only as Turtle No. 9. The turtle, they explained, had "gone on a Herculean voyage, venturing 5 miles upstream over a period of two months to reach this sylvan oasis."
Northwestern pond turtles are one of two remaining native freshwater turtle species in California, but their populations have dwindled over the years. This had led them to be labeled "a species of special concern," according to a social media post from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (@goldengatenps).
Because of this, the San Francisco Zoo and some other wildlife organizations are working diligently to rescue and revive their populations, SFGate explained. In the case of Turtle No. 9, he was part of a brood of pond turtle eggs that was salvaged by local rescue hospital WildCare after their mother was struck by a car. After the eggs hatched and the turtles grew to a certain size at the zoo, volunteers released them into the wild — where No. 9 went on to make his epic journey.
The Instagram post enthused: "If turtles could talk, then Turtle # 9 would have stories to tell about the restoration of Redwood Creek in Muir Woods. … [He is] the first turtle documented in Muir Woods in three decades!"
And while releasing juvenile turtles into the wild has been successful, it's only part of the conservation strategy. Another key threat facing the pond turtles is the vulnerability of their nests, which attract eager mammalian predators such as skunks and foxes.
To account for this, they are working with an organization called K9inScentive, where dog and handler teams sniff out nests to protect them. So far, it's working well.
The success is an encouraging reminder that community-oriented programs really do work to restore endangered populations.
Similar success stories have been seen with the reintroduction of gray wolves in California, Eurasian beavers in England, Louisiana pine snakes in Louisiana and Texas, and bitterns and marsh harriers in Wales.
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