STAFF at West Midland Safari Park are making a splash for their reptilian friends.

The employees at the park recently held a “Love Reptiles” fundraising week, and on Sunday, September 13, Alisha Metcalfe, Vicky McFarlane, Lucy Smith, Becky Scott, Holly Sansome and Kat Wilkins will take to the wild waters of Upton Warren for a sponsored swim to raise funds for the Turtle Survival Alliance.

In particular, they will raise funds for a captive project of the endangered Asian Brown Mountain Tortoise at Nagaland Zoo in north-east India.

The team will need to swim around 680 metres in the open lake, but to draw even more attention to their activities, ten inflatable turtles will also accompany them.

The event will also raise awareness of the plight of wild tortoises and turtles, which are facing harvesting for the illegal pet trade, traditional medicine and food markets.

Becky Scott, reptile keeper, said: “So far during “Love Reptiles” week, the team have raised around £1,600 for the Turtle Survival Alliance – well over their £1,000 target.

“It is hoped the sponsored swim may now even double the original target.

“The team have been practicing at the Sea Lion pool and are now really looking forward to swimming in the wild.”

The Asian Brown Mountain Tortoise is the largest tortoise in mainland Asia. They are believed to be among the most primitive of living tortoises and belong to a group of reptiles known as Chelonia, which also includes turtles and terrapins.

Of the Chelonia group, West Midland Safari Park has one alligator snapping turtle and a group of pancake tortoises in Mark O’Shea’s Reptile World.

For more information, call 01299 402114.