Rare Turtles Hatched At Bronx Zoo
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There are some new and very rare additions to the Bronx Zoo.
Five Chinese yellow-headed box turtles -- considered to be one of the 25 most endangered turtles in the world -- were hatched at the zoo's Reptile House.
There are fewer than 150 Chinese yellow-headed box turtles left in the wild, which is why the zoo's work is so important.
"The success we are seeing in the early stages of this program is encouraging," Bronx Zoo director Jim Breheny said in a statement. "Over time, we hope to expand our turtle propagation work to extend to many of the most endangered species of turtles and tortoises."
The turtle once thrived in streams of the Anhui Province of eastern China, but its population dwindled due to pollution, habitat loss and human consumption, zoo officials said.
For more information, visit www.bronxzoo.com.
