Zoo releases dozens of baby turtles back into Quebec river

A zoo conservation project east of Montreal resulted in the release of dozens of baby turtles into a southern Quebec river over the weekend.

Local families at a turtle festival were given the chance to handle the weeks-old baby turtles before they slipped into the murky waters near Lake Champlain on Saturday.

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For 15 year the Granby zoo has been collecting turtle eggs and hatching them in an incubator before releasing them.

The zoo says it’s a way of protecting the nests from predator’s fangs and flooding and is part of a project to help save the species.