In partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Cincinnati Nature Center is now helping to return hundreds of captive eastern box turtles to the wild. The work is part of the state’s Repatriating Ohio’s BOx Turtles initiative, otherwise known as ROBOTs. The program, led by ODNR’s Division of Wildlife, aims to return (or“re-patriate”) hundreds of confiscated, surrendered, or rehabilitated box turtles to the wild.

But the work is not as straight forward as you may think. Homing instincts in eastern box turtles are well-documented. When moved away from their home territory, they will try to find their way home, exposing them to a greater risk of death or injury. Additionally, in most cases, rehabilitators simply don’t know where rehabilitated turtles originally come from, so returning them to their home is impossible. For these turtles, the only options have been to remain in human care for the rest of their lives or be euthanized.  

In the last 5-10 years, however, several states have begun researching how to help turtles of unknown origin acclimate to new territories. One of the most promising studies was conducted by West Virginia’s Division of Natural Resources. Their work showed that turtles need a “soft release” period in larger outdoor enclosures before being released into the wild. The soft release gives turtles the chance to orient themselves to their new home and remember how to fend for themselves again. By adding this crucial step in the repatriation process, the researchers were able to increase turtle survival to 87.5% - a promising number. The conclusion was that captive box turtles could, in fact, be successfully returned to the wild.

This is where Cincinnati Nature Center comes in...

In the spring of 2026, we began partnering with ODNR by serving as a monitoring and release site for 10 box turtles. On Wednesday, June 24, those turtles will have completed their soft release period. Their enclosures will be opened, and they will be wild once more. To help ensure the safety and solitude of the turtles, we aren’t able to share where on our property the release will occur, but the turtles will be outfitted with trackers that allow us to follow their movements and perform periodic health checks.

This is the first year of the ROBOTs program in Ohio, and it has certainly been a team effort, with dozens of partnering organizations across the state. Locally, ROBOTs is being supported by Cincinnati Nature Center and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, as well as individual volunteers who are helping track and monitor released turtles. We look forward to sharing updates about their journey back to the wild.