In the basement of a home across the street from the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton sits the quiet sanctuary of a species that is carefully tucked away from the public.
There is no display case for interested viewers to peek in, or fence to lean over in hopes of catching a quick glance. Instead, water pours into large open containers that sit just below a special light that simulates the sun.
The tops of logs push to the surface and dozens of Blanding’s turtles freely swim about, with no predators or visitors to hide from. (Photos: Blanding’s turtles at Cosley)
As one of Illinois’ endangered species, officials at the Cosley Zoo are taking extra steps to help save the beloved reptiles from complete extinction.
“We’ve learned a lot. It’s a constant learning process,” said Cosley Zoo Director Susan Wahlgren.
Since 2001, the zoo has worked in partnership with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County on the Blanding’s turtle Recovery Project. The goal is to twofold: protect the dying species by improving its habitat and help young turtles survive and hopefully reproduce.
Each year, the forest preserve temporarily houses pregnant female turtles so they can safely lay their eggs. Once they hatch, these young turtles – typically 50 to 70 – are brought to the zoo where they are kept for two years before released into the wild.
The process of handling the hatchlings is extensive, with human contact kept at a minimum. Zookeepers will feed them from behind a special sheet, and the turtles are carefully weighed and measured to check for proper growth.
This is to ensure they don’t adapt to human interaction, which can seriously threaten their survival once they return to their natural habitat. Visitors are also not allowed into the room, although two Blanding’s turtles that were hand-reared at another zoo can be found on display at Cosley.
“We kind of try to maintain a low-profile when we are around them,” Wahlgren said.
The turtles are kept in a highly controlled environment where everything from the lights to the water is manipulated to best simulate their natural environment. They are also given a mix of commercial and live food to help them grow while also learning to hunt, she said.
Wahlgren said although they don’t keep a lot of hard data on the number of Blanding’s turtles that have gone on to survive in the wild once released, they are seeing some success.
Most of the turtles are tagged and have continued to be spotted in the areas they are released in. The overall Blanding’s turtle population also has seemed to grow in those same places and there have been few mutations, she said. This means the turtles are reproducing in a healthy way.
However, much still needs to be learned.
“The program is always evolving – getting bigger, getting better,” Wahlgren said.
Ultimately, she would like to build an animal care and conservation center to provide a better space to species such as the Blanding’s turtle. However, that would require a significant amount of funding that isn’t available to the zoo right now.
Continuing to build the number of organizations involved in the project is also key to its long-term survival.
“The only way these projects work is through partnerships,” she said.
Cosley Zoo also relies heavily on independent donations. Those interested in becoming a Blanding Buddy can donate at the gift shop and will have their name placed on a display turtle at the store.
For more information on the turtles and ways to donate, go to cosleyzoo.org and click on the turtle icon.
