OKC Zoo to host World Turtle Day activities on Thursday

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden will celebrate World Turtle Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

The event will be presented locally by Bob Moore Subaru and feature a special scavenger safari, bio-facts and two keeper connections. Also, Josh Lucas, lead herpetology caretaker, will give a presentation about his radiated tortoise rescue mission to Madagascar. All animal days activities are free to the public with zoo admission.

Turtles are one of the most endangered vertebrates on the planet, a news release stated. Over 50% of turtles are endangered or critically endangered. The OKC Zoo is home to 18 vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered species of turtles. The World Turtle Day scavenger safari (for kids 11 and younger) asks participants to find six species of turtles at the zoo and correctly determine their conservation status using the information posted at their habitats. After finishing the scavenger safari card, participants may take it to guest services in the entry plaza and, if all the statuses of all six species are correct, they will receive a prize.

During World Turtle Day, turtle fans can learn more about these reptiles. The zoo’s turtle experts will be hosting keeper chats at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Galapagos tortoise habitat. Plus, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., an information station staffed by herpetology caretakers will feature turtle bio-facts and games outside the Herpetarium across from the flamingo habitat.

Lucas will host the presentation about his yearlong effort to save 10,000 rescued radiated tortoises found abandoned in Madagascar at noon at the Rosser Conservation Education Center auditorium. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. His discussion is free to the public, and zoo admission is not required to attend.

For more information, call 405-424-3344 or go to www.okczoo.org.