Bellinger River snapping turtles recovery - Wildlife Australia Guide

Zoo-bred Bellinger River snapping turtles released to counter virus wipe-out

By Kate Aubrey, ABC Coffs Coast

NEARLY A DECADE after a virus nearly wiped out a population of turtles unique to northern New South Wales, researchers say its origins remain a mystery as a project to repopulate the species hits a major milestone.

Now identified as the Bellinger River Virus, it triggered a mass mortality event in 2015 that decimated 90 percent of the river’s snapping turtle population within six weeks.

At the time, the state government placed 16 healthy turtles into a zoo-based breeding program led by Taronga Zoo as part of the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program.

Some 179 Bellinger River snapping turtles (Myuchelys georgesi ) have since been released after the program started in 2018, with 97 turtles reintroduced into the river during December marking the largest group yet.

Taronga Zoo senior reptile keeper Adam Skidmore said while the released turtles were doing well in the wild, there remained no cure for the virus that nearly saw the species go extinct.

“Our goal is to ensure we have a backup population in case there is more devastation in the