Pets Hunters

Atlanta Zoo Breeds Endangered Turtle

Zoo Atlanta hatched a rare Arakan forest turtle this week, a victory for researchers trying to save the endangered species — one shell at a time.

The hatchling is the fourth of the brown-and-tan spotted reptiles born there in the last six years, zoo officials said Tuesday. Two hatchlings have died, and another egg is near hatching.

The zoo is the only facility in the world successfully breeding the Arakan forest turtle, which is one of the planet's most critically endangered species. They were believed to be extinct for close to a century, but the turtles appeared in Asian food markets in the mid-1990s.

Scientists blame the rapid disappearance of the Arakan forest turtle — much like other shelled reptiles — on their popularity in Asia for cooking and medicinal purposes.

(photo credit: St Louis Zoo)