<
https://theconversation.com/turtles-on-the-tarmac-could-delay-flights-at-western-sydney-airport-208930>
"Amid the controversy surrounding preliminary flight paths for Western Sydney’s
new airport, another potential challenge is looming: turtles on the tarmac.
The land surrounding Sydney’s newest airport is prime nesting area for native
turtles. This may create problems for the airport’s operations.
Turtle invasions at airports are not unprecedented. In recent years, a
freshwater turtle was found wandering around Sydney Airport, which is built on
Botany Bay. In 2021, a turtle strolling across a runway in Japan delayed five
planes. A few years earlier, a passenger plane aborted takeoff because a 1.5m
leatherback turtle was on the runway. And at John F. Kennedy International
Airport in New York, employees carried 1,300 turtles off the tarmac in one
nesting season alone.
Our expertise spans zoology, conservation biology and ecology. We know
individual freshwater turtles can wander well beyond their wetland habitat into
areas where they pose a risk to aviation safety, if proper planning is not in
place. We urge authorities to incorporate turtle-friendly features into the
airport’s design and make contingency plans for these remarkable reptiles."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
