The European Turtle Alliance Conference 2024 held at ARU Writtle on the 18th and 19th May was a significant gathering of experts, researchers, conservationists, and enthusiasts committed to the preservation of turtle and tortoises species across Europe and further afield. This year’s conference was themed “Chelonian Conservation and Welfare” and explored the challenges and solutions in turtle conservation against the backdrop habitat fragmentation, and the increasing pressures of human activity. The European Turtle Alliance Conference is an annual event, that usually takes place in the autumn. It was held slightly earlier this year due to very special guests being in attendance (more on those later on). As usual, the conference was a two-day event with talks on both days and an optional practical session that participants could attend. Please note: there are some photos of a post-mortem examination towards the end of this summary.

As I have previously stated, one of the reasons why I feel I have a lack of experience with tortoises and turtles is that we don’t have any native terrestrial species of the in Great Britain. We have a number of introduced terrapin species and the occasional vagrant turtle that enters our waters and that it is. However, there are a number of people that keep them as pets and I just haven’t had the exposure to them like I have other reptile species. This is one of the reasons why I love conferences like this, you’re able to learn something new about a group of species you are interested in and vaguely familiar with, in order to help build on that knowledge and network with people working directly with those species. This conference is always great as it brings together a diverse range of people such as students who can interact directly with zoo keepers or other professionals in the field. Everyone has the level of respect for each other and it is a great feeling overall, everyone is seen as equal.

For those that are not aware (or may have been living under a rock) Garden State Tortoise was founded in 2011 by Chris and Casey Leone. It is a private facility located along the southern coast of New Jersey, USA. Garden State Tortoise serves as a breeding and rescue centre, sanctuary and rehabilitation centre. Both Chris and Casey have a huge online following, where they outline the great work they do while also sharing stories of some of the more charismatic tortoises and turtles in their care. They are dedicated to the preservation and conservation of turtles and tortoises from around the world. With over 30 years of hands-on experience, the Leones aim to unite conservation and preservation efforts through education, emphasising the need for both to prevent extinction. It isn’t just all outreach though, they also manage state conservation projects, such as the Terrapin Conservation Initiative, focused on protecting the northern diamondback terrapin. They also collaborate with state and federal agencies, zoos, and other animal facilities to rehome turtles and tortoises in need. It was an honour to meet Chris and Casey, while also hearing a more intimate account of the great work that they do.

Crocodiles of the World, located in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, doesn’t just house crocodilians as its name may suggest. They also house a number of other important species and one of these is the Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger). Recently, they achieved a significant milestone by successfully breeding Galápagos giant tortoises, the first UK zoo to do so. Colin Stevenson their Head of Education provided and overview of their successes. In November 2021, their 70-year-old male tortoise, Dirk, mated with 21-year-old female Charlie, resulting in the hatching of two tortoises in early 2022. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given the challenges associated with breeding this endangered species in captivity. Crocodiles of the World is currently home to four adult Galápagos tortoises with these tortoises being part of a European conservation program aimed at preserving the species. There are some careful considerations that need to be made however, as there is some taxonomic debate about whether the tortoises on each island constitute a separate species or not. With that in mind, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

For Chris’ second talk, he gave us a quick introduction to the turtles of New Jersey, which has an impressive variety despite the fact some of these are now extremely rare. In the gallery below, the attendees that were present on the second day are inducted into the superlabs at ARU Writtle by Eleanor Chubb, before a Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) was wheeled in on a mortuary trolley for a post-mortem examination. This was carried out by Stéphane Gagno (in the red t-shirt) and Matt Rendle (who you may remember from last year). The post-mortem was conducted in the middle of the room, with the action being displayed on TV screens around the room so everyone could see what was going on. The inside of a tortoise is quite crammed, given that this female had a number of developed follicles and may have been egg-bound, it didn’t leave much room for her organs and other vital structures.

There were other zoos that we also heard from such as ZSL London Zoo and Marwell Zoo, both of which have various projects to help conserve chelonians. An example from London Zoo is the successful breeding of critically endangered big-headed turtles (Platysternon megacephalum), with three hatchlings born from parents rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. This highlights yet more critical ex-situ work zoos have been responsible for, to help prevent extinction in some extremely rare and threatened species. Caesar Rahman’s talk on the community-based work he has been conducting in Bangladesh with the black mountain tortoise (Manouria emys phayeri) was also another success story in a world that is often full of doom and negativity. As the co-founder of the Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA), Rahman has focused on the remote Chittagong Hill Tracts, a region where this critically endangered species was once thought extinct. Back in 2011, his team discovered evidence of the tortoise’s existence, prompting the establishment of a conservation breeding program. In collaboration with local communities and the Bangladesh Forest Department, CCA set up the Turtle Conservation Center in Bhawal National Park, which houses breeding colonies of the black mountain tortoise (and other threatened species). In December 2021, Rahman’s team successfully reintroduced 10 captive-bred juvenile black mountain tortoises into the Matamuhuri Reserve Forest, marking the first rewilding of this species in Bangladesh. This initiative has engaged local communities by transforming former hunters into biologists and seeing them committing to cease hunting and protect habitats.

Unfortunately, I am going to leave it there but if you can attend the European Turtle Alliance Conference in the future, you certainly should. I would just like to take this time to thank the European Turtle Alliance for helping to organise the conference, all of the sponsors for helping to support the conference, and to ARU Writtle for helping to host another great chelonian-themed conference. Hopefully next time I’ll see some more of you there! When I hear news about the upcoming conference that should hopefully take place at some point next year, I will be certain to share it on my socials so that you can make it.

If you liked this post and enjoy reading this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon where you will also gain access to exclusive content.