Planet DFW

A Fort Worth Zoo biologist is working to save giant softshell turtles

The world can be a very small place. How else to explain a Fort Worth Zoo biologist fighting to save a Chinese turtle from extinction?

There are believed to be only four Yangtze giant softshell turtles left on the planet – one in the wild and three in captivity. It is, according to the World Conservation Union, the most critically endangered turtle in the world, and that’s saying something because many turtle and tortoise species worldwide are in serious trouble from pollution, habitat loss and poaching.

The Turtle Survival Alliance, led by Fort Worth’s Rick Hudson, a conservation biologist at the zoo, is helping to move one of the last remaining turtles Monday to try to mate the pair. The 80-year-old female at China’s Changsha Zoo is still reproductive, and Hudson says she needs to be moved to the 100-year-old male, living 600 miles away at the Suzhou Zoo.

“I hate to call this a desperation move, but it really is,” Hudson said. “The risks are certainly there, but doing nothing is much riskier.” Moving turtles that old is, as Hudson said, not without risks. An animal can get very stressed out, and it is possible the male could harm the female during mating. But the Turtle Survival Alliance has rounded up partners, including reptile experts and veterinarians, to do all they can to save the Yangtze turtle.

Hopefully in the coming months, we’ll hear good news from this arranged marriage.

-- Chris Vaughn

A plea to hunters: Don't shoot endangered black bears

Only in Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are warning hunters not to shoot black bears, which are endangered but have been making a comeback in Texas over the past 25 years. Killing a black bear is a violation of state law anywhere in Texas, and a violation of the federal Endangered Species Act in East Texas. Bear hunting of any kind has been prohibited statewide in Texas since 1983.

East Texas contains approximately 12 million acres of forested private and public land, including four national forests and the Big Thicket National Preserve. This region is considered to be one of the next places in Texas for the continued slow, natural return of black bears. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 2005 approved the East Texas Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan, and it has documented several reliable bear sightings in recent years in eastern Texas. Bears are still rare in Texas and very few Texans have ever seen one here.

Black bears are also normally shy and not aggressive to humans. This combination of factors makes it unlikely that you or someone you know will encounter one. Still, if you do see one, put down the shotgun and walk slowly away.

-- Scott Streater

Fort Worth Stockyards is going green this St. Patrick's weekend

Listen to Irish music and recycle your cellphone. Enter your kids in the stick horse races and win a free tree. The 15th Annual Cowtown Goes Green St. Patrick’s Day event is adding more “green” to its celebration this year.

Here’s what to expect at the noon-4 p.m. family party this Saturday at the Fort Worth Stockyards:

* Head over to the Livestock Exchange Building, drop off your old cellphone and receive a free Cowtown Goes Green mug, while supplies last.

* Small trees will be awarded to winners of stick horse races and roping contests, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

* Check out a truckload of compost and mulch and find out how the City of Fort Worth gives away the material free, year around.

* Learn how the average family can live a more eco-friendly life with information provided by the city’s Environmental Management and Water departments.

Click here for more information about the green festivities.

Click here for directions and parking.

-- Jessie Milligan