12:00a.m. 26th November 2007

A Turtle conservation group has accused Australia Zoo of being more concerned over “crocodile pie” than endangered wildlife in its own backyard.

The Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association is disappointed the zoo and Wildlife Warriors have not publicly stated their views on the proposed Traveston dam. Association spokeswoman Gabrielle Latta and her husband Craig moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2000 to work with the Mary River turtles and are running a petition to stop the dam and “save the turtle”.

Ms Latta said data collected indicated the turtle was endangered, with between 800 and 3500 believed to be in the Mary River.

She said the dam would push it “even closer to the brink of extinction, with 17 known Mary River turtle nesting banks being inundated by up to 25m of water”.

“The ‘footprint’ of the dam is the only section of the river where the Mary River turtle is known to breed successfully.”

The association has asked Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors to independently assess the dam environmental impact statement and associated documents, and to make a submission to the coordinator-general and federal minister for the environment.

But Ms Latta said she had not received a response from either.

zoo management or Wildlife Warriors.

“I got the impression they don’t want to have an opinion,” she said. “Their lack of interest is really disappointing as Australia Zoo claims to be all for conservation yet they seem more concerned about crocodile pie than the possible extinction of several endangered species less than 60km away.”

Her comments refer to the zoo’s recent criticism of the Caloundra Bowls Club for putting chicken and crocodile mornay pie on its menu.

Ms Latta said a brief reference to Australia Zoo in the dam environmental impact statement could be seen as indirectly suggesting it supported the project.

Under the headline “Educational Opportunities”, the statements says “components of the project, together with existing facilities including the Australian Zoo, would offer a number of activities of interest in the one locality which will be a major attraction for educational and tourism alike”.

Ms Latta said it was “ironic” the zoo had not made a statement about the dam, considering the endangered turtle was on display there and the zoo was in charge of the Australasian captive breeding program for the species.

Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors did not wish to comment when contacted.