The little-known Manning River helmeted turtle is found only in parts of the Manning River on the mid-coast of NSW. It’s one of three endemic turtles in NSW that exist nowhere else on Earth.
ABC news has shed light on the plight of this little fella. Because they live in such a restricted area, it means the turtles are extremely vulnerable to habitat loss, predation, lack of genetic diversity, and sickness.
“They need all the help they can get”, says Tim Faulkner, Australian Reptile Park general manager and head of conservation.
So the Australian Reptile Park, Aussie Ark, and the Office of Environment and Heritage have joined forces and are implementing a breeding program for the species.
A breeding facility will be built at the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast in the next few months. And with the help of the local community, a crowd-funding campaign is being launched to help get the project off the ground.
This article originally appeared on ABC News
