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DAILY LIBERAL (Dubbo, Australia) 22 February 06 Tiny Turtles Fighting Fit (Natalie Kent)
They might not have the spunk that won Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hoards of fans but these little tiny-shelled reptiles are not without their admirers.
Western Plains Zoo staff have become quite attached to the 12 eastern snake-necked turtles, each no bigger than a 20 cent piece, and for good reason.
While their long scaly necks and the bright orange specks on the bottom on their shells certainly make them endearing, it's the story behind how the turtles came to be born at the zoo and were able to be released into the wild yesterday that makes them unique.
The turtles came into the hands of veterinarians at the zoo's wildlife clinic after the help of a concerned member of the public.
"It this case a member of the public rescued a female long-necked turtle that had been hit by a car," zoo veterinarian Tim Portas said.
"Unfortunately the turtle died before it reached the clinic but during the post mortem we discovered the female was carrying eggs and a decision was made to incubate them."
The result of this revolutionary move was 12 tiny hatchlings were successfully born.
As it is now clear the turtles are fighting fit, scuttling around their pools and finding shady places to hide between the rocks, their keepers have given them a clean bill of health to be released back into the wild.
"The turtles will be released in a dam on the outskirts of Dubbo," Mr Portas said.
As well as the turtles, two little red flying foxes were also given approval to be released after their wings were injured.
"We need to be sure those injuries have healed sufficiently enough for the animals to fly," Mr Portas said.
"The little red flying fox is, after all, a nomadic species which moves camp every couple of months to feed on new patches of flowering trees, nectar and pollen, so it was important to get them healthy before the local bats moved on."
When working at the wildlife clinic it is quite common to see lots of animals that have been hit by cars and not all can be saved. Mr Portas says at least in this case we have a happy ending.
http://dubbo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=460659&category=General%20News&m=2&y=2006