Earlier this month, the zoo in Atlanta successfully hatched a baby Arakan forest turtle. Zoo Atlanta is the only place in the world that has achieved this rare goal of breeding the captive turtles, which are endangered.

The turtles were thought to be extinct until they started showing up in Asian food markets. For the past 10 years, biologists have been working to save this species, native to western Myanmar, a country in southeast Asia that is bordered by China and India.

The turtles mate only once a year, and their eggs take 100 days to hatch. It has taken Zoo Atlanta's pair of turtles, which were rescued from a Chinese food market, five years to successfullly hatch this baby turtle.

I still remember seeing film footage of the last Tasmanian wolf, pacing back and forth in a small cage. It was heartbreaking not only that the wolf was spending his remaining days in captivity, but also that he was the lone survivor of that species.

Stories like this are the most compelling reasons to justify the existence of zoos. Without captive-breeding programs, species such as the Arakan forest turtle and the black-footed ferret would probably be extinct by now. Although zoos may not be the best place for wild animals, the captive-breeding programs really are in the best interests of the animals. I just wish facilities other than zoos would take on this important work.