The Bronx Zoo has helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 800 North American box turtles seized from wildlife traffickers since October 2024.

The turtles were confiscated by US federal officials at New York-area airports, where traffickers tried to export them illegally for the international pet trade. Many arrived dehydrated, injured or diseased.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s zoo provides emergency triage, veterinary care, quarantine and rehabilitation in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials call it an unprecedented surge in turtle trafficking.

Rehabilitated turtles are placed with accredited zoos or, where possible, returned to protected wild areas. The milestone was announced on August 27.

Officials say the surge is driven by demand for exotic pets abroad, where box turtles fetch high prices. The rescue operation shows how zoos have become frontline responders in the fight against wildlife crime.

Many of the seized turtles were bound for markets in Asia, where North American box turtles are prized as exotic pets and can sell for high prices.