Pond turtles weaned in the Parco Pallavicino released into the wild

The festival of Emys took place yesterday in the Province of Vercelli with the release of some specimens of European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in the humid zone of the Baraggia di Rovasenda, in the Province of Vercelli.

The reintroduction of the turtles into the wild took place at the conclusion of a project for the safeguarding of this animal species, with the collaboration between the Parco Pallavicino in Stresa and the Centro Emys Piemonte. The 13 pond turtles were entrusted for a period of around three years to the Parco Pallavicino, which welcomed them in its land aquariums for weaning. Now, at the end of this phase, the specimens have been sent back to the research centre to be returned to the wild.

Thomas Calligarich, the biologist at the Parco Pallavicino who is responsible for this project, comments: “We are proud to have participated actively in this initiative, which contributes to awareness creation among the general public regarding the safeguarding of little known autochthonous species, to their conservation in their natural habitat and, on a more general level, to environmental sustainability. Projects such as this are a drop in the ocean, but they are capable of providing real, concrete support to biodiversity”.

The collaboration between Parco Pallavicino and the Centro Emys Piemonte, which began in 2018, will continue in this direction and new projects for the conservation and safeguarding of fauna in the territory are already in the study phase.