An extinct species returns to the Łódź Voivodeship

European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is the only species of turtle occurring naturally in Poland. In the Łódź region it is considered an extinct species. In 1935 it was placed under strict protection. It is listed in the Polish Red Data Book of Animals.

Tiny turtles of the species Emys orbicularis L. have just arrived Łódź from the Poleski National Park – informed the Łódź zoo. For the next three years, they will be raised in safe conditions – away from predators and other threats that could await them in their natural environment. As they grow older, they will be released in places that meet their requirements.

These animals feel best in wet, hard-to-reach areas rich in water reservoirs. They will find such conditions, among others, in the Spalski and Bolimowski Landscape Parks. Each institution participating in the program has undertaken to carry out protection and care activities as well as monitor the European pond turtle and its habitats.

The reintroduction of pond turtles in the Łódź Voivodeship is a joint project, planned for several years, of the Municipal Zoo in Łódź, which is its coordinator, the State Forests, the University of Łódź, the Complex of Landscape Parks of the Łódź Voivodeship and the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Łódź.

Man has contributed to the extinction of pond turtles through, among others, agricultural development, deforestation and river regulation. For years, the pond turtle was treated as a pest; in the past, it was used to prepare Lent dishes.

Turtles are also threatened by invasive species introduced to Poland – predators such as raccoon dogs, raccoons and American minks, as well as other turtle species that take over habitats and displace native individuals.