World Turtle Day
Next: May 23, 2027
Slow down for the shell-bearers.
The story
Where it comes from
In 1990 Susan Tellem and her husband Marshall Thompson founded American Tortoise Rescue in Malibu, California, a sanctuary that takes in turtles and tortoises, nurses them and finds them homes. In 2000 the charity created World Turtle Day on 23 May, to bring attention to these animals, to increase knowledge of and respect for them, and to encourage people to help them survive and thrive. What began as a small grassroots effort has grown into an international observance.
How it's celebrated
Schools, zoos, aquariums and rescue groups hold events, and supporters host 'shellebrations' and post 'shellfies'. The organisers suggest simple ways to join in: share a turtle fact with a friend, support a local rescue or conservation group, and learn what the turtles near you need from their rivers, ponds and beaches. Then tell someone else.
Did you know
- Turtles have been on Earth for some 220 million years, long enough to outlast the dinosaurs.
- American Tortoise Rescue was the first sanctuary in the United States to care only for turtles and tortoises.
- Since 1993, SEATRU, the sea turtle research unit of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, has protected turtle eggs and released hatchlings at Chagar Hutang on Pulau Redang.
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- World Football Day · May 25, 2027
- Africa Day · May 25, 2027
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