Protected Polish turtle eggs rescued from roadside and moved to laboratory

A female pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) laid 23 eggs on the shoulder of a road in the Bagno Nadrowskie nature reserve in the Warmian‑Masurian region of Poland. Forest rangers reported the find and the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Olsztyn, represented by spokesperson Justyna Januszewicz, ordered an immediate intervention to prevent the clutch from being destroyed.

The eggs were transferred to the Mazurian Centre for Biodiversity and Education at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Biology in Urwitałt, where herpetologist Grzegorz Górecki will oversee incubation. Hatching is expected in August, after which the hatchlings will be returned to the reserve. The pond turtle is Poland’s only native turtle species, strictly protected since 1935, with an estimated regional population of 100‑200 individuals. Artificial incubation typically yields a 50‑70 % success rate.