‘It’s just amazing’: Incredibly rare Blanding’s turtle released back into Cootes Paradise
In the summer of 2020, two unwitting canoers stumbled upon a pair of tiny, inconspicuous turtle hatchlings, fresh out of their eggs and nestled on the banks of the Cootes Paradise marsh.
It was a happenchance discovery that would prove to be an ecological godsend.
They were Blanding's turtles, a species once plentiful in Ontario until mounting alteration and destruction to native wetland habitats virtually wiped them out. Known for their helmetlike carapaces and lemon-yellow chins that shimmer in the sun, they are incredibly rare and often outlive the people who research them. At the time the two hatchlings were found, it was estimated that less than three Blanding's turtles were living in all of Cootes Paradise.
The odds of anyone having come across a Blanding's turtle hatchling in the wild is astronomically small," said Sarah Richer, a species at risk biologist at Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). You see more shooting stars than that."
Tys Theijsmeijer, the head of natural areas at RBG who spent his childhood exploring Hamilton's wetlands, went a little further.
I've never heard of a Blanding's hatchling being found at Cootes in my whole life."
The precious pair of Blanding's were sent to a head-start rehabilitation centre at Scales Nature Park in Orillia after their discovery, spending two years growing in a stable environment.
On Friday, the only survivor of the two siblings - little Niigaanii - returned to Hamilton and was released at Cootes, swimming on as an underdog who beat the odds.
It's just amazing they've made it to this point," said Richer, noting biologists won't be able determine the turtle's gender until they get older.
Richer and RBG staff took Niigaanii in a canoe before dropping them off at an undisclosed location. It's hoped their increased size - that is, relative to when they were born - will aid them in warding off bigger predators, said Richer. But the turtle won't up and disappear: it's replete with a radio tracker atop its shell.
We want to make sure we know where they're going, especially in their first winter and whether they survive," Richer said.
It's part of a broader strategy RBG has deployed in recent years to keep endangered and threatened species safe. One such effort includes fencing around Cootes Drive, erected around 2018, which has helped keep turtles off the road and limited fatalities. Others include wetland restoration projects and sewage spill cleanup.
If all goes to plan - and predators like raccoons and skunks are fended off - Niigaanii can live up to 70 years of age. They will reach sexual maturity at 18 to 22 years and maintain their ability to reproduce very late in life.
The slow but nimble semi-aquatic turtle now joins an exclusive club, with only two other Blanding's turtles presently living in Cootes. Richer said one, a female named Seneca, is possibly Niigaanii's mother, given there were no other females around when they were born.
It's those we really need to help," said Richer of endangered adult turtles, because if we don't, the young ones will run out."
Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com