Western swamp tortoise: Record year of hatchlings at Perth Zoo for WA’s critically endangered reptiles

The long-term survival of WA’s critically endangered western swamp tortoise has been boosted by a record number of hatchlings successfully being born at Perth Zoo.

Unique to south-west WA, the carnivorous tortoise species is considered Australia’s most endangered reptile and was believed to be extinct until its re-discovery in 1953.

Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson on Monday revealed Perth Zoo had successfully bred 65 hatchlings this season — the program’s highest on record.

Another 73 western swamp tortoises — bred at the zoo — have also recently been released into the wild by Department of Biodiversity, Conversation and Attractions officers as well as University of WA researchers.

The tortoises have been released into two separate areas of the Augusta-Margaret River region — 16 east of the Augusta townsite and 57 in the Scott National Park.

Forty-eight tortoises were fitted with radio transmitters and data loggers to allow researchers to track the animals’ movements and collect data on the releases’ success.

Ms Sanderson hopes the program will “safeguard” the species’ future.

“This record year is a milestone worth celebrating for the western swamp tortoise conservation efforts and is a testament to the hard work of the staff at DBCA, Perth Zoo and all scientific researchers and volunteers involved,” she said.

“It’s wonderful to watch this collaborative breed-for-release program become more successful each year as it works to safeguard this rare and unique West Australian species.”

More than 800 western swamp tortoises have been bred by Perth Zoo since 1989.

The South West has been identified as a potential safe haven for the western swamp Tortoise by WA Government as climate change threatens the species’ last remaining pockets of natural habitat in Perth’s north east.

The urbanisation of Perth, land clearing for nearby agricultural areas, introduced predatory animals and climate change have attributed to the species’ critically endangered status.