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Woodland Park Zoo releasing endangered turtles into the wild

Woodland Park Zoo and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will release about 30 endangered western pond turtles to a protected recovery site on August 7 under the state's recovery project for the species.

SEATTLE — Woodland Park Zoo will release about 30 endangered turtles raised at the zoo into the wild Friday morning to help re-establish their population.

The Western Pond Turtles will be taken to a protected recovery site in Lakewood.

The turtles were collected from the wild as eggs, hatched and raised at the zoo as part of the

Western Pond Turtles are native to Washington.

In 1990, a respiratory disease cut the population to just 150.

Biologists will continue to monitor the 2-ounce turtles after they're released.

The Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is a long-term, comprehensive program to re-establish and protect this endangered species in Washington state.

KIRO

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