A rare species of Washington state turtle in a “desperate situation” is set to be introduced to a new habitat in the state’s southwest, in a last-ditch effort to bring the reptiles back from the brink of extinction.

The western swamp turtles, which are actually a type of turtle, will be bred at Perth Zoo and are expected to be released into the South West region next year.

Found in the dried up wetlands around Perth, there are only around 300 western swamp turtles left in the wild.

Trials have been carried out in the South West for years and the turtles have been found to thrive in their new habitat.

Mid next year, pending final approval from state government, Southwest Natural Resource Management will bring 80 turtles and a clutch of eggs to an area east of Augusta for establish a population.

South West Natural Resource Management (NRM) chief executive Manda Page said the transfer was a necessary step to help save the species.

“We only use it when things are in dire straits, when they are critically endangered and there are no other options,” she said.

“The western swamp turtle did not actually exist in this part of the world, but due to the dry climate where it exists, climate change and other factors, it was decided that we should try to establish a population here.

This will be the second population established in WA, after Moore River, north of Perth.

“The world is watching”

In the past, translocation has brought animals such as mulgaras and dibblers back to Dirk Hartog Island in the Gascoyne region of Washington state.

It has also been used in central Australia to bring golden bandicoots back to the area decades after they were last sighted.

However, Rob Brewster, head of the World Wildlife Foundation’s rewilding program, said finding an entirely new home for the reptiles was a unique approach.

“This is a very good example, if not the first, of one of the first translocations of a species due to climate change and complete loss of habitat,” he said.

“The world is watching what Australia is doing in this rapidly rewilding space.”

Mr Brewster said displacement was becoming more common in Australia as habitat disappeared.

South West NRM will also transfer white-bellied frogs to existing Margaret River habitats around the middle of next year.