The team at Aussie Ark are celebrating a huge milestone...
... the first ever mating within its population of critically endangered Manning River turtles.
“This is a massive historical moment… It is so exciting," says Billy Collett,Australian Reptile Park's Operations Manager .
Billy managed the breeding program, pairing genetically suited females with males in large tanks.
Over the course of a month he witnessed the courtship and breeding of not just one, but multiple pairs.
The huge milestone is not just one for Aussie Ark, but for the turtles, too, boosting insurance population numbers to secure the survival of the species.