There's more baby animal news coming from the Dresden Zoo! For the first time, nine Borneo River Turtles (Orlitia borneensis) have hatched. This is also the first of its
species hatched at a zoo in Germany.

On April 9, keepers noticed a clutch of eggs on the exhibit ground covered with leaves and other nesting materials. The eggs
were recovered and subsequently carefully monitored in an incubator. Then, from mid-August to
early September, the babies hatched from their eggs using their egg tooth, a
hard horny projection on the bill with which they crack the hard shell. Eight
of the 9 hatchlings survived the first critical days; each is now being reared
behind the scenes.

Also known as the Malaysian Giant Turtle, the Borneo River
Turtle is the largest river turtle, growing to be up to 32 inches (80 cm).
They lead solitary lives, inhabiting fresh waters — rivers and lakes — in Malaysia,
Borneo and Sumatra.

The Borneo River Turtle is considered
Vulnerable in peninsular Malaysia and Endangered in Indonesia, where it is
exported in large quantities despite official protection. It is threatened by
hunting and poaching for sale in East Asian food markets in huge numbers. Therefore this successful breeding at the Dresden Zoo greatly
aids the conservation of this rare turtle — and what they learn can be shared
with other zoos to support perpetuation of this species. 

Photo Credit: Dresden Zoo