TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) staff will soon be releasing more alligator snapping turtles, a rarely seen species, after last year’s initial success.
In September 2024, a batch of 40 alligator snapping turtles were released in the Neosho River. This is due to the KDWP Aquatic Recovery Program, which has a goal “to recover, delist, and deregulate populations of endangered species by working with private landowners to reintroduce species back into Kansas waters in areas where they have gone locally extinct.”
According to Matthew Self with KSNT, the turtles had been absent from the state for more than 30 years before being reintroduced to Kansas last year. The KDWP tracks the progress of each turtle by using special radio tags and keeps tabs on them after they are released.
Species reintroductions are made possible through the Kansas Aquatic Species Conservation Agreement.
More alligator snapping turtles are set to be released in May, in hopes to try and boost the population’s numbers.
