Rare turtles saved from smugglers have hatchlings

Six turtles of a critically endangered species have hatched at a conservation zoo in Jersey.

The Madagascar big-headed turtles, known as "Rere" in their native country, were born in late 2022.

Their parents were brought to Jersey Zoo, run by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, in 2019 after they were confiscated from smugglers by authorities in Hong Kong.

Matt Goetz, who leads Durrell's study of amphibians, said it was only the second time a European zoo had hosted hatchings of this species.