Staff at Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital watched in delight recently as seven Eastern Long-necked Turtle hatchlings emerged from their eggs.The hatchlings’ mother had arrived at the Wildlife Hospital in November with a badly cracked shell, after being run over by a car.An x-ray revealed the turtle was carrying eggs. Unable to repair the shell and save the mother, hospital staff carefully retrieved the eggs and placed them into an incubator.The eggs then sat at a regulated temperature, with staff waiting anxiously for signs of hatching. One day veterinary nurses noticed the eggs starting to hatch and before long seven healthy hatchlings had emerged.With the hatchlings all doing well after three weeks, the decision was made to release the young turtles into a water body at Billabong Camp. The turtles now call this lovely lake home.