Western pond turtles are returning to the Puget Sound area, thanks to a cooperative project between WDFW, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Center for Wildlife Conservation. At the zoo, turtles are raised in a "Head Start" program until they are too large to be eaten by non-native predators such as bullfrogs. Several captive-bred turtles were recently released in a pond near south Puget Sound. They have adapted well to their new home. This success is an encouraging first step in the effort to restore a western pond turtle population in the Puget lowlands, where the species used to be common.The western pond turtle population in the Columbia Gorge, which was decimated by disease a few years ago, appears to have stabilized and begun to increase. Recruitment of young turtles into the population is hampered, though, due to heavy predation by introduced species. Here, too, the Woodland Park Zoo "Head Start" program is assisting with recovery.
A study is now under way to improve our understanding of habitat-use patterns of western pond turtles.