A small Blanding's turtle hatched at Toronto Zoo on August 11, with video showing the animal crawling free of its shell.

Staff at the zoo captured the moment the turtle was born. It was just one of several groups of eggs that began hatching on July 29.

The semi-aquatic Blanding's turtle, which originates in the Great Lakes area of northern America and is variously registered as 'threatened' or 'endangered' due to habitat destruction, favours ponds, lakes and wetlands for its home.

Since 2005 Toronto Zoo and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources have been rescuing turtle eggs from at-risk nest sites in the area and transferring them to the zoo for hatching.

Such sites include highway construction sites, agricultural fields and other areas where they are vulnerable to predators and other hazards, Toronto Zoo said.

Turtles are kept for roughly two years before being released back into the wetlands of the nearby Rouge Park. The turtle captured on camera is expected to be released in 2016.