Western pond turtle population grows in Washington

KNKX Public Radio | By The Associated Press

Published July 29, 2011 at 10:04 AM PDT

The Western pond turtle's presence is growing in Washington.

A program to save the western pond turtle in Washington has helped the wild population in the state grow from about 150 20 years ago to about 1,500 today.

The scientists involved in the program are continuing their work with the release Friday of 20 more turtles raised at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. They're going into a refuge in Lakewood, Pierce County.

The western pond turtle recovery project is a joint effort of the Seattle zoo, the Oregon Zoo in Portland, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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