Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS), in partnership with the University of New England and funded by the Australian Government were hard at work in December catching adult Bell’s turtle (Wollumbinia belli) females before the start of the breeding season in an effort to save the endangered species from fox predation.
Bell’s Turtles are found only in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, and the species is facing an immense threat with foxes eating 90-100% of eggs laid each year. While the cohort of adult turtles over 50 years old is strong, the number of juveniles in local waterways has been diminishing due to this predation. Eggs are collected from females and incubated at the University of New England, with the hatchlings then released back into local waterways.
