Santa Cruz Island
The Galápagos giant tortoises that roam in this paradisiacal archipelago have put Ecuador, my country, on the map. Unfortunately, the recent history of these prehistoric-looking giants is not a very positive one. It is known that thousands of them were taken away from the islands to be used as food. The giant tortoises can survive for up to two years without eating or drinking. The later fact caused a drastic reduction in their numbers for the tortoises were transported alive in the ships of the passing pirates, whalers, sealers, etc. Obviously in those times refrigerators were still far from being invented, the reptiles became an abundant source of fresh food that was exploited without mercy.
After those terrible times, the giant tortoises in the Galápagos are living a wonderful golden age. We, as humans, are not causing damages to their populations anymore. On the contrary, we are helping to restore little by little their original numbers. One of the programs that is very successful is the one dedicated to the incubation and later repatriation of baby tortoises to their islands of origin. To date, thousands of new tortoises have been repatriated already. In today's picture you can appreciate a group of baby tortoises that are maintained in rearing pens. After two years in these enclosures they go to an adaptation corral. Finally, when the baby tortoises reach five years of age their shells are big and hard enough to not be eaten by predators and they are released in the wild. Remarkable efforts have been made and are currently taking place to save the magnificent giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands. These efforts will allow that one day the little tortoises of the program will grow to be giants in their home islands. Many of them will live their lives in restored ecosystems; they will reproduce and will pass away in peace. Although this sounds like a dream, it is not far from coming true, it is becoming a marvelous reality.
The Galápagos giant tortoises that roam in this paradisiacal archipelago have put Ecuador, my country, on the map. Unfortunately, the recent history of these prehistoric-looking giants is not a very positive one. It is known that thousands of them were taken away from the islands to be used as food. The giant tortoises can survive for up to two years without eating or drinking. The later fact caused a drastic reduction in their numbers for the tortoises were transported alive in the ships of the passing pirates, whalers, sealers, etc. Obviously in those times refrigerators were still far from being invented, the reptiles became an abundant source of fresh food that was exploited without mercy.
After those terrible times, the giant tortoises in the Galápagos are living a wonderful golden age. We, as humans, are not causing damages to their populations anymore. On the contrary, we are helping to restore little by little their original numbers. One of the programs that is very successful is the one dedicated to the incubation and later repatriation of baby tortoises to their islands of origin. To date, thousands of new tortoises have been repatriated already. In today's picture you can appreciate a group of baby tortoises that are maintained in rearing pens. After two years in these enclosures they go to an adaptation corral. Finally, when the baby tortoises reach five years of age their shells are big and hard enough to not be eaten by predators and they are released in the wild. Remarkable efforts have been made and are currently taking place to save the magnificent giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands. These efforts will allow that one day the little tortoises of the program will grow to be giants in their home islands. Many of them will live their lives in restored ecosystems; they will reproduce and will pass away in peace. Although this sounds like a dream, it is not far from coming true, it is becoming a marvelous reality.
