Santa Cruz Island
Once upon a time large numbers of Galápagos giant tortoises roamed in most of the large islands, they had abundant food and no predators to limit their growth; during the rainy season they ate and drank as much as possible, so that they could cope with the long droughts. No one has a concrete number for the historical population of these creatures, but it is estimated that perhaps between 200,000 and 300,000 individuals were removed from the islands. Pirates, buccaneers, whalers, scientific expeditions and early visitors would take tortoises for their private collections; the threat to their existence was continued with the presence of human settlements. These first inhabitants brought (and in many cases abandoned) animals as part of their livestock, which then became feral and reproduced by the hundreds. These wild animals turned into tortoise predators; they destroy all vegetation (including nesting sites), and will eat every single egg or hatchling, allowing the tortoises no chance for survival by increasing and replacing their populations.
Something had to be done; eggs or hatchlings are collected from marked nests out of different islands to incubators where park rangers keep strict control and care of them, the newly hatched tortoises are kept in pens where they learn to move in a semi natural terrain protected against eventual attacks by cats and rats – once they are hawk-proof they will be repatriated to their island of origin. The best example of tortoise restoration is the Island of Española, where the population numbers dropped down to only twelve females and two males. A male found in San Diego Zoo nicknamed ‘little Diego’ was added to the program; with his help more than 1400 tortoises are living on the island again.
Some tortoises had developed a very rounded type of shell called a “dome shell” in islands like Santa Cruz where the vegetation is very abundant. Here there are fresh water ponds where they can rest, drink and eat the water ferns that cover the surface. These forests are the home for many land birds such us carpenter finches, vegetarian finches, ground and tree finches as well as the rarest Vermillion flycatcher which flashes his vibrant red feathers like a flame extinguishing in the wind.
Once upon a time large numbers of Galápagos giant tortoises roamed in most of the large islands, they had abundant food and no predators to limit their growth; during the rainy season they ate and drank as much as possible, so that they could cope with the long droughts. No one has a concrete number for the historical population of these creatures, but it is estimated that perhaps between 200,000 and 300,000 individuals were removed from the islands. Pirates, buccaneers, whalers, scientific expeditions and early visitors would take tortoises for their private collections; the threat to their existence was continued with the presence of human settlements. These first inhabitants brought (and in many cases abandoned) animals as part of their livestock, which then became feral and reproduced by the hundreds. These wild animals turned into tortoise predators; they destroy all vegetation (including nesting sites), and will eat every single egg or hatchling, allowing the tortoises no chance for survival by increasing and replacing their populations.
Something had to be done; eggs or hatchlings are collected from marked nests out of different islands to incubators where park rangers keep strict control and care of them, the newly hatched tortoises are kept in pens where they learn to move in a semi natural terrain protected against eventual attacks by cats and rats – once they are hawk-proof they will be repatriated to their island of origin. The best example of tortoise restoration is the Island of Española, where the population numbers dropped down to only twelve females and two males. A male found in San Diego Zoo nicknamed ‘little Diego’ was added to the program; with his help more than 1400 tortoises are living on the island again.
Some tortoises had developed a very rounded type of shell called a “dome shell” in islands like Santa Cruz where the vegetation is very abundant. Here there are fresh water ponds where they can rest, drink and eat the water ferns that cover the surface. These forests are the home for many land birds such us carpenter finches, vegetarian finches, ground and tree finches as well as the rarest Vermillion flycatcher which flashes his vibrant red feathers like a flame extinguishing in the wind.
