Whitney Young students help release endangered turtles into the wild

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four members of the Whitney Young High School Eco-Club traveled to Granite City, Illinois to help release nearly 100 endangered alligator snapping turtles into the wild.

Under the direction of their science teacher, Todd Katz, the CPS students and six Pontiac High School students tagged and released the last 37 of 97 total turtles into the swaps of Horseshoe Lake Park on Friday. The students tagged and released the first batch on Thursday.

PHOTOS: Whitney Young students help release endangered turtles

Katz said Whitney Young is one of the few high schools in the state to have an Endangered Species license. The club's endangered pet, an alligator snapping turtle named Little Ritter is also expected to be released, pending health tests.

Alligator snapping turtles are endangered because of extensive hunting and the effect pesticides, herbicides and fouled water have had on the animals' natural habitats.

Illinois Natural History Survey staff, Southern Illinois University, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Pontiac Zoo helped students carry out their project.