The Feldman Ecopark has a great addition to the turtles collection. The new animals include a couples of common snapping turtles, alligator snapping turtles, yellow-footed tortoises, red-footed tortoises and radiated tortoises, as well as the single representatives of Geoffroy’s toadhead turtles, African spurred tortoises and mata mata. The animals arrived in Kharkiv from Odesa.
The spacious aqua terrariums will be constructed for the new ‘residents,’ where they will be able to live comfortably with their couples and breed. According to the words of the Ecopark’s specialists, the species, which arrived without a couple, will not be alone for a long time, the proper females and males are already sought.
“We are planning to provide all the necessary conditions for the reproduction of animals. Thus, soon the Feldman Ecopark will have the biggest collection of turtles and reptiles in Ukraine,” the Feldman Ecopark deputy director of zootechnic issues Valeriia Ivashchenko told. “Some of the representatives of land tortoises will perform a generous mission: they will become participants of the animal-assisted therapy.”
It should be reminded that animal-assisted therapy is the unique method, which is actively used by the specialists of the Centre of psychosocial rehabilitation of the Feldman Ecopark. The psychocorrective lessons with the participation of animals are carried out for the ATO soldiers and their families, for Donbas migrants, and for children and teenagers with special needs, deviant behaviour and various psychological problems.
It should be noted, that today, the turtle collection of the Feldman Ecopark includes over 60 individuals. They include African spurred tortoises, Russian tortoises, Leopard tortoises, red-footed tortoises, pond sliders, common snapping turtles, alligator snapping turtles, yellow-footed tortoises, radiated tortoises, Geoffroy’s toadhead turtles, mata mata, and European pond turtles.
