From loss of habitat to collection to supply the pet and medicinal trade, turtles all over the world are in serious trouble. Fortunately, turtles have organizations like the Turtle Survival Alliance looking out for them.
From its home in Charleston, South Carolina, to operations in more than 30 countries, the TSA is on the frontlines of breeding and protecting critically endangered turtles. They’re also a long-time collaborator with the Tennessee Aquarium, which partners with the TSA in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) American Turtles program. You can also see some of the offspring of critically imperiled turtles raised by the TSA in the Aquarium’s working turtle nursery.
Learn more about the Turtle Survival Alliance at https://turtlesurvival.org
Learn more about the AZA SAFE American Turtles program: https://youtu.be/fdnQ7Kd8czk?si=k2b4DUiXXuVgXfnR
Episode Cast
- Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist and anti-turtle smuggler
- Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux, Turtle Survival Alliance CEO
- Dave Collins, Turtle Survival Alliance senior director of domestic conservation
- Bill Hughes, herpetology collections coordinator
Tune in to this episode below or check out more ways to listen on our Podcast Aquatic main page.
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