Zoo releases dozens of baby turtles back into Quebec river [Video]

A zoo conservation project east of Montreal resulted in the release of dozens of baby turtles into a southern Quebec river over the weekend.

Local families at a turtle festival were given the chance to handle the weeks-old baby turtles before they slipped into the murky waters near Lake Champlain on Saturday.

For 15 year the Granby zoo has been collecting turtle eggs and hatching them in an incubator before releasing them.

The zoo says it’s a way of protecting the nests from predator’s fangs and flooding and is part of a project to help save the species.