The Bronx Zoo has rescued 800 endangered turtles from an ‘unprecedented surge in trafficking’
Since 2024, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo has officially helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 800 North American box turtles saved from the illegal wildlife trade.
In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the zoo has been a lifeline for the endangered turtles since October 2024, in what officials call “an unprecedented surge in turtle trafficking.”
Many of the turtles arrive at the zoo severely dehydrated, emaciated, injured, or suffering from disease after rough handling and enduring poor transport and holding conditions.
Why is this good news? Box turtles are a “long-lived” animal, which means they mature slowly and have low reproductive rates. Wild populations struggle to replace adults that are trafficked and taken out of their natural environments. Experts at the zoo give these turtles the best possible chance to recover.
Despite recent setbacks, the world is much more democratic than it was half a century ago
In 1789, only two of the 76 countries in the world had an elected parliamand and elected government — the United Kingdom and the United States. As of 2025, 34 countries do not have elected parliaments and governments — and 165 do.
Electoral democracies — classified in the data by having an elected government and parliament, universal voting rights, a political opposition, and competitive elections — did not become the global majority until the 1990s. By 2025, 117 countries could be classified as democracies, while 82 could not.
While dozens of countries have become less democratic over the last decade, in the much larger arc of history, the world has made incredible progress — which is also indicative that future progress is possible, too.
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