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For Immediate Release, June 26, 2008
Contact: Kelly Lessard 952.431.9217
Editor’s Note: Please contact Kelly Lessard regarding photographs. Video can be obtained via affiliate stations:
NBC – WBBH – phone 239.939.6223
ABC – WZVN – phone 239.939.6223
CBS – WINK – phone 239.344.5000
FOX – WFTX – phone 239.574.6397
Apple Valley, MINN–June 26, 2008 – A young loggerhead sea turtle, illegally taken as a baby by a Minnesota tourist visiting Sanibel Island, Florida in 2004, will go home to the waters off Southwest Florida on Thursday, June 26, 2008 around 9:15 a.m. CST. The turtle was cared for–and was on display at–the Minnesota Zoo until 2005, when it was sent to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples.
Since its arrival at the Conservancy, the federally protected turtle–now four years old–has been residing in a patch reef aquarium where it has served as an ambassador for public education about its species. Environmental education staff has cared for the turtle in preparation for it to grow to a shell size of 45 cm in length, necessary for its return to the sea. In May, 2008, the Conservancy hosted a Sea Turtle Festival for the community to say goodbye to the turtle; the event was attended by more than 2,000 people.
History and Minnesota Zoo Involvement
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service transported the sea turtle to the Minnesota Zoo in 2004 after it was anonymously dropped off at the Minnesota Herpetological Society. When it first arrived at the Zoo, the turtle was no larger than a half-dollar coin and weighed only a half-ounce. “It was quite a surprise to get a call from the Society, informing us they had a sea turtle,” said Minnesota Zoo Aquarium Supervisor Allan Maguire. “When the turtle arrived, it was very dehydrated and we weren’t sure if it was going to make it. However, loggerheads are tough and it soon started eating and gaining weight. During its stay at the Minnesota Zoo, it was a popular turtle and will probably be the only small loggerhead that will be in Minnesota for some time. We are thrilled the turtle survived and is now being released into the wild.”
By August 2005, the seven-and-a-half pound turtle was ready to leave the Minnesota Zoo and travel home to Florida. This trip was first class for the turtle, courtesy of Sun Country Airlines.
Gulf of Mexico Release
On June 26, the turtle will travel in a Conservancy of Southwest Florida transport van to Marco Island, where it will travel by boat for its release into the Gulf of Mexico. Members of the Conservancy and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will transport the turtle.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle Facts
(Source: Conservancy of Southwest Florida)
- An estimated one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 hatchlings reach adulthood.
- Loggerhead Sea Turtles are protected by the Federal Endangered Species Protection Act.
- It is against the law to touch or disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings or their nests.
- Florida sea turtle nesting season extends from May 1 through October 31.
- Females prefer to nest in darkness. Buildings and lights can disturb female loggerheads or prevent them from nesting.
- Hatchlings swim towards the ocean because it is naturally the brightest area around. Lights from buildings, parking lots and roads can disorient hatchlings and they may move towards these areas instead of the ocean.
- Adult loggerheads may have up to a four foot long shell, and can weigh up to 350 pounds.
- Adult loggerheads are primarily carnivorous. Favorite food items include shellfish, horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels and other invertebrates.
- Jellyfish are also a favorite food item of loggerheads but they occasionally swallow floating plastic bags that resemble the shape of a jellyfish that may prove to be fatal.
- Florida beaches account for one third of the world’s total population of loggerheads.
- Major threats to loggerhead populations include fishing, pollution and development of shorelines.
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program is in its 26th year and has saved over 250,000 sea turtle hatchlings.
ABOUT THE MINNESOTA ZOO
The Minnesota Zoo, located in Apple Valley and open 363 days per year, is just a short drive from the Mall of America. Located on 500 beautiful acres, the Zoo is home to more than 2,300 animals representing nearly 450 species from around the world. More than one million guests visit the Zoo each year, enjoying Russia’s Grizzly Coast, Tropics Trail, Minnesota Trail, Northern Trail, Discovery Bay, Wells Fargo Family Farm, and the Monorail. The Coral Reef Dive Show, World of Birds Show, Shark Reef Feedings, and Dolphin Presentations bring guests up-close and personal with many exotic and domestic creatures. Accredited by the AZA, the Zoo provides award-winning recreational, educational and conservation programs, locally, nationally and internationally. For more information about the Zoo, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org.
ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida began in 1964 when community leaders came together to defeat a proposed “Road to Nowhere” and spearheaded the acquisition and protection of Rookery Bay. The Conservancy is a grassroots organization focused on the critical environmental issues of the Southwest Florida region. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center treats over 2,500 injured, sick and orphaned animals per year and releases about half back into their native habitats. For information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, call 239.262.0304 or visit conservancy.org.
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