Bellinger River snapping turtle

This species was listed as critically endangered after a virus, now known as the Bellinger River virus, caused mass mortality of the turtles in early 2015. An estimated 90% of the population was wiped out in just 6 weeks.

Under the Saving our Species program, the NSW Government is funding several actions to conserve the Bellinger River snapping turtle, including:

• captive breeding
• regular monitoring of the remaining wild population
• restoring and improving habitat along the Bellinger River
• a citizen science program to track water quality across the catchment
• research into genetics, population dynamics and the virus.

Captive breeding program

A rapid response by the NSW Government and partners during the virus outbreak in 2015 saw 16 healthy turtles placed into a captive breeding program managed by Taronga Zoo. The turtles are breeding, and the program has since expanded to include Symbio Wildlife Park.

Since 2018, the NSW Government has managed the trial release and monitoring of 179 captive-bred juvenile Bellinger River snapping turtles. The species could become extinct in the wild without the captive breeding program.

Regular monitoring of the remaining wild population

The NSW Government's Saving our Species program has undertaken regular surveys in the Bellinger River since the disease outbreak in 2015. There have also been a small number of surveys in the Kalang River. The objectives of the surveys are to monitor long-term trends in the abundance and population structure of the Bellinger River snapping turtle, the Macquarie turtle (Emydura macquarii) and hybrids between the 2 species, as well as assessing the health of individual turtles.

Help save the Bellinger River snapping turtle

There are a lot of ways you can help save the Bellinger River snapping turtle:

• Report sick or dead turtles, by calling our Environment Hotline on 131 555.
• Contact WIRES Rescue Office for wildlife information and rescue advice on 1300 094 737.
• Report turtle sightings on our NSW Bionet webpage or the TurtleSAT website.
• Volunteer with Bellingen Riverwatch and take part in citizen science water quality monitoring on the OzGREEN Bellingen Riverwatch webpage.

Partnerships

The Saving our Species program leads the delivery of the Bellinger River snapping turtle project, which relies on the contributions of the following project partners and stakeholders:

• Taronga Conservation Society Australia
• Symbio Wildlife Park
• Australian Registry of Wildlife Health
• NSW Department of Primary Industries (Virology)
• OzGREEN
• North Coast Local Land Services
• Bellinger Landcare
• Bellingen Shire Council
• Western Sydney University
• University of New South Wales
• University of Canberra
• Sydney University
• contractors and volunteers
• landholders and the local community, including over 50 private landholders who have provided the program with access to the Bellinger and Kalang rivers.

Taronga Zoo's Conservation Breeding Program

Taronga Zoo has been home to an insurance population of the Bellinger River snapping turtle since 2016, when the first 16 rescued animals were brought to the zoo. The breeding success of the program has surpassed expectations, with almost every mature female producing a fertile clutch of eggs each year.

Symbio Wildlife Park's Conservation Breeding Program

Symbio Wildlife Park acquired 19 juvenile Bellingen River snapping turtles in 2017. They have since developed and matured significantly.

OzGreen's Bellinger Riverwatch Program

Bellingen Riverwatch has been providing consistent water quality data for the Bellinger and Kalang catchments following the disease outbreak in early 2015.

The priority is collecting scientifically valid long-term water quality data to monitor river health, identify priority areas for management actions and educate the community and landholders on the impact they may be having on their environment.

Bellingen Landcare's Bellinger River Rehabilitation Project

Since 2015, Bellinger Landcare has been working with the Saving our Species program, landholders and land managers, the NSW Environmental Trust, North Coast Local Land Services and community members to improve riparian (streamside) vegetation condition along the Bellinger River, revegetate areas of historic clearing, undertake fencing and off-stream watering for cattle exclusion and improve the overall condition of riparian vegetation within the species' range.

Research

Research to assist recovery of the Bellinger River snapping turtle is ongoing. You can read about some of the research that has been done on the Bellinger River snapping turtle in Aquatic conservation: Marine and freshwater ecosystems Vol 32, Issue 11 and Vol 31, Issue 12.