# @enquirer on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DaBNxlzDg0r
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67200364-enquirer-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/72dc016a96.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-25T18:30:36.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sam Greene (@sgdoesit) — https://gondola.cc/sgdoesit

## Caption

Ten Eastern box turtles are on their way to finding a new home in Southwest Ohio, after researchers opened the gates to their enclosure at Bowyer Farm on Wednesday afternoon, giving them a taste of freedom.

They aren't alone. The cincinnatizoo is taking part in a statewide Division of Wildlife research effort to find new homes for turtles.

With a beaming sun and a crowd of around 40 watching, several turtles took one small step at a time, inching past the starting line. Cheers from their enthusiasts followed as the creatures disappeared into the green and brown landscape. Some hid in their shells, perhaps waiting for privacy before exploring their new landscape. They had spent a month acclimating to the wetlands before heading off on their latest adventure.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife partnered with many conservation organizations, including the Cincinnati Zoo, to return turtles to the wild. Eastern box turtles are native to Ohio, but populations are declining. Many of them ended up with rescuers because they were illegally collected.

"The sort of dominant thought was that you can't really rehome a box turtle because they have such a wonderful homing device or internal homing instinct that they'll just walk forever to try to get back to their original home site," said Mollie O'Neill, the Cincinnati Zoo’s director of partnerships in local conservation.

Researchers hope to learn whether box turtles will thrive after being rehomed.

Read the full story at the link in our bio. 
(📸: frankbowenphoto / The Enquirer) #cincinnati #cincinnatiohio #cincinnatizoo #zoo #turtles

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## Tags

zoo, cincinnatiohio, turtles, cincinnati, cincinnatizoo

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