Is the Tide Turning for Madagascar’s Tortoises?

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† After nearly 30 hours in transit on three flights, and bone tired, I returned from Madagascar just in time for Thanksgiving. But with a few days to put things into perspective, I was ready to share my impressions about TSA’s work to reduce tortoise poaching: in brief,¬†I believe the tide is beginning to […]

NAFTRG 2014: The Year of the Volunteer

by¬†Eric Munscher¬† This year has been a great one for the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG) for many reasons, none more so than because of the incredible volunteers that made it all possible. The group captured and processed more turtles in 2014 than in any other year since the project launched in 1999. […]

Captive Reproduction of Arakan Forest Turtles

by¬†Steve Platt¬† On 21 November, we were elated to learn that a female Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa), one of 14 adults held in an assurance colony at Gwa (Headquarters of the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary), had deposited a clutch of five eggs only days before. This is the second successful nesting by a female […]

Visitors to the TSC in December

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† We’d like to extend a huge thanks to the volunteers from the North Carolina Zoo who helped out recently at the Turtle Survival Center (TSC). With the help of the hard-working Zoo staff, the team was able to make progress on a variety of construction projects, including erecting a chain link fence around […]

Turtle Team Aids in Gharial Rescue

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† The TSA-India team, in association with the local forestry department, recently rescued a 14.5 foot male gharial from the Son River in India. The team encountered the male gharial basking with fishing nets wrapped around its snout in Son Gharial Sanctuary while they were conducting a turtle survey. In addition to being entangled […]

TSA Around the World: Belize

Get YOUR Turtle Questions Ready! CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WEBINAR! In this webinar series, we’re taking you around the world to see how the Turtle Survival Alliance makes a positive impact for tortoises and freshwater turtles across our many range-country programs. This week JOIN US LIVE from BELIZE! The staff of the Belize Foundation […]

Burmese Roofed Turtles Return Home

by¬†Steve Platt¬† In 2007, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society-Myanmar Program (WCS), launched an ambitious program to rescue the endemic Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) from the brink of extinction. Considered the second-most critically endangered turtle in the world, the remaining wild Burmese Roofed Turtles are confined to a remote […]

Construction Continues at the TSC in 2015

by¬†Christine Bowie¬† 2014 was a huge year for the Turtle Survival Center! Some of the biggest highlights include the completion of two new turtle habitats; the Sulawesi Greenhouse and the Forest Complex, the renovation and upgrade of the veterinary clinic, plus infrastructure¬†modifications which will allow for even more growth. The team is kicking off another […]

Disappointment in Myanmar

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† Our¬†efforts to secure a large female Northern River Terrapin¬†(Batagur baska), believed to be the sole surviving representative of her species in Myanmar, came to a disappointing conclusion in November when the Board of Trustees at Botataung Pagoda refused to grant final permission for us to remove the aged turtle to a captive-breeding facility. […]

Joel Sartore Visits TSA India

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† Acclaimed photographer, Joel Sartore recently visited TSA project site Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Center (KGRC) in Lucknow, India. Joel was there to work on his biodiversity project, Photo Ark. To date, Joel has photographed almost 4,200 species with the goal of raising public awareness of animals at risk. Prior to his visit to KGRC […]

Cuora Complex Nears Completion

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† The team from Will McGuire Construction is at the Turtle Survival Center (TSC) this week providing their skills and expertise as the Cuora Complex nears completion. Will’s team is installing a security enclosure in the form of a heavy steel frame covered with predator-proof wire mesh that will enclose the entire complex. The […]

TSA Represented at the SE Wildlife Exposition

by¬†Heather Lowe¬† The crew from the Turtle Survival Center recently participated in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) in Charleston, South Carolina. The event, which began in 1983 with 100 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees is now the largest event of its kind in the nation. Today, an average of 40,000 attendees come to see more than […]