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.
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Over the course of a month he witnessed the courtship and breeding of not just one, but multiple pairs.
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Manning-River-turtles_Aussie-Ark
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.