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Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

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Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Iowa's 'Kung Fu Panda' turtle facing endangered status

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024   

A small turtle made popular in the "Kung Fu Panda" movies could soon be added to the endangered species list. Iowa wildlife advocates are working to restore it to its native habitat and give the turtle a better chance for survival.

The Blanding's turtle is popularized in the long-running, lighthearted animated movies but its fate is anything but funny. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide in coming months whether to list it on the endangered species list. Officially, fewer than 3,000 Blanding's turtles are left in Iowa.

Karen Kinkead, Wildlife diversity program coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said they are a cryptic species and hard to count but are easy to identify when you spot one.

"They're kind of this drab, olive green-grey color. Their shell is shaped kind of like a helmet. They are sort of nondescript," Kinkead outlined. "But then you see this bright yellow chin and the way that their lower jaw is formed it makes it look like this is an animal that is always smiling."

Decades of habitat loss and predation have already put the Blanding's turtle on the threatened list in Iowa. A partnership between the state DNR, Iowa State University and the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines just hatched nearly five dozen baby Blanding's turtles researchers will raise until adulthood, then tag with telemetry gear to track them in the wild.

Kinkead pointed out the zoo is "head-starting" the turtles by hatching and keeping them in the zoo over the winter, instead of allowing them to hibernate.

"They keep them awake and keep feeding them so they grow larger," Kinkead explained. "Then when they're released into the wild the next summer, they're a bigger size."

Kinkead added being bigger and more mature makes the turtles less vulnerable to predators once they are released.


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