500th endangered tortoise ventures into the wild

Australia’s rarest reptile species received a boost today with the release of the 500th captive bred western swamp tortoise into the wild.

At the release this morning, Environment Minister Albert Jacob said a total of 30 western swamp tortoises were set free today at Twin Swamps Nature Reserve in Bullsbrook.

“The 500th release today is a conservation landmark and will add to the improved recovery outlook for this critically endangered native species,” Mr Jacob said.

“These juveniles will bolster numbers of tortoises in the wild and hopefully many will mature into breeding adults.

“As one of the world’s rarest tortoises, the western ‘swampies’ have been on a rollercoaster ride, with numbers so low they were thought to be extinct until 1953 when a boy found one crossing the road in Upper Swan and took it to the WA Naturalists’ Club wildlife show.

“While numbers have risen and fallen over the past 60 years, a joint effort by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth Zoo and other State Government agencies, the community and corporate sponsors has seen the wild population stabilise and increase in recent times.

“Today’s release means that 529 captive-bred, juvenile western swamp tortoises have been released into the wild since 1994 as part of a successful captive breeding program.”

The Minister said the ongoing conservation program included radio-tracking and monitoring of western swamp tortoises, including one tortoise which has been tracked for 51 years.

Activities such as monitoring, captive breeding, translocations and awareness-raising are being carried out by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth Zoo, volunteer group the Friends of the Western Swamp Tortoise and The University of Western Australia, with support from financial sponsors.