Welcome to turtle island
An Ark for endangered turtles
Help us protect turtles around the world and donate today.
Donations to Turtle Island are tax deductible in the USA and Austria.
Donate Today and help us
to reach our goal of preserving
turtle life on our planet
What is Turtle Island?
Turtle Island, managed by the internationally renowned scientist and zoologist Dr. Peter Praschag, breeds and focuses on conservation of endangered turtles worldwide.
With over 240 taxa and more than 2500 turtles housed at four locations across Styria, Austria (Graz, Deutschlandsberg), two of which are Category A Zoos, Turtle Island is an Ark for endangered species.
Our daily work is characterized by scientific research, nature conservation and animal welfare. We focus on educating the public on the importance of turtle biodiversity and its role in preserving of life on our planet.
In a nutshell:
Together with our global network of partners, supporters, animal keepers and volunteers we contribute to the protection of the most threatened group of vertebrates on our planet – turtles.
either already become extinct or
are on the brink of extinction.
10 turtle subspecies have
gone extinct in recent years.
Decrease in Wild populations
between 1970 and 2010
either already become extinct or
are on the brink of extinction.
10 turtle subspecies have
gone extinct in recent years.
Decrease in Wild populations
between 1970 and 2010
Our philosophy
"We all live on a "Turtle Island". Kalmyks and Mongols tell of a turtle that carries the world, and Hindus know that their god Vishnu in his second incarnation became Kurma, a turtle that swims in the Sea of Milk and carries the Far on its back.
In New Guinea, the story is told that this island owes its existence to an industrious turtle that dived into the depths of the primordial sea, all the way down, and brought up rocks, sand and whatever else was needed to build an island - until the island itself rose up. In a similar way, the continent we now call North America was created.
So say the Ojibway and Anishabe, the Iroquois, Haudenosaunee, Apache and Cherokee, the Wyandotte (the people of the island) as well as the Wampanoog, the Lenape, the Maidu and the Patwin of California and many other North American tribes, who, therefore, like to call their home "Turtle Island".
Everything that lives, everything that walks on feet, fins or wings, and everything that breathes, whether through lungs or gills, tracheas or skin, we all live on a turtle island.
Life on the island defines it, by what lives on the island we know where we come from and where we go, what we see and what we talk about, and every walk is a walk over the green backs of turtles."
(Marcel Robischon from "On the Silencing of the World").
The solution
At Turtle Island, we prevent the extinction of endangered turtle taxa. Out of the 240 taxa in our conservation centers, 11 are among the top 25 most endangered species worldwide, and 27 are within the top 50.
Our goals include protection, preservation and reintroduction of endangered turtles everywhere. We have created a unique sanctuary, drawing attention to fascinating turtle diversity and the threats that they face.
For more information about Turtle Island...
Together we can preserve endangered
species for future generations
and ensure their continued survival.
Different ways of
supporting the turtles.
Organizations
that support us
«To carry on this great work, we need your help.»
MAG. DR. PETER. PRASCHAG
Founder of Turtle Island
