Turtle hatchlings settled into their new home at the Oregon Zoo.

Seventeen endangered northwestern pond turtle babies, each roughly the size of a walnut, are being raised in the zoo's conservation lab.

Authorities confirmed the tiny creatures are being prepared for release into the wild next spring.

Jen Osburn Eliot, who leads the turtle recovery program, said: 'These hatchlings are very vulnerable to predators.'

Zoo conservationists retrieved the reptiles with help from Washington Fish and Wildlife biologists. The animals were found in the Columbia Gorge and brought to the lab.

Inside the wildlife care unit, the turtles benefit from heat lamps and a steady supply of food to prevent hibernation.

Once the turtles reach about 50 grams, about two ounces, they are returned to their natural habitat.

By then, they are as large as a typical three-year-old turtle, making them less vulnerable to predators.

The northwestern pond turtle is endangered in Washington and listed as sensitive in Oregon.

Fewer than 100 northwestern pond turtles were documented in Washington two decades ago. Since then, more than 1,500 turtles have been released into the wild through the recovery program.

Jen said: 'Each hatchling is critical. We need to increase the number of turtles in the wild if we're going to save this species from extinction.'

The recovery project is a joint effort between multiple organisations, including the Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, and federal and state wildlife agencies.