Santa Cruz Island
In the morning we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) where one of the main conservation programs of the CDRS was explained in detail. This program is famous worldwide and is dedicated to the restoration of decimated and endangered populations of Galapagos giant tortoises. Centuries of overexploitation brought these unique reptiles to a critical point. Around the early 1960’s the CDRS together with the Galapagos National Park Service started this phenomenal task. One of the most popular aspects of the program is the one related with the young tortoises.
After being incubated under controlled artificial conditions, the young ones are kept in total darkness for several days. The objective is to reproduce the atmosphere they experience in their first days of life when they hatch in the wild. After this period of acclimatization, the babies are transferred to rearing pens. Each one of these small pens contains groups of young ones according to their island of origin and date of birth. The pens will be their home for two years. After that time they go to a bigger open area. I call this place the “training camp,” and it is a place where the babies are free to walk wherever they want. Many plants are around so they can have occasional snacks that complement their supplied diet. An artificial small shallow pool is inside the area providing fresh water. There, the young ones drink happily, control their body temperature and clean themselves from ectoparasites that are found from time to time on their skin. After this adaptation period, when they are five years old, the babies are ready to be repatriated to their islands of origin. At this age they are big enough to defend themselves in the wild. To keep track of them once liberated, interesting methods are used. In addition to a small color-coded number that is painted on their shells, a microchip called a “PIT” tag (Position Integrated Transmitter) is implanted in each one of them. This tiny microchip is the size of a grain of rice but provides invaluable information. I admire deeply the efforts that are being made to save the Galapagos giant tortoises. Every week that I see these young tortoises I cannot refrain from feeling sincerely proud of these efforts.
In the morning we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) where one of the main conservation programs of the CDRS was explained in detail. This program is famous worldwide and is dedicated to the restoration of decimated and endangered populations of Galapagos giant tortoises. Centuries of overexploitation brought these unique reptiles to a critical point. Around the early 1960’s the CDRS together with the Galapagos National Park Service started this phenomenal task. One of the most popular aspects of the program is the one related with the young tortoises.
After being incubated under controlled artificial conditions, the young ones are kept in total darkness for several days. The objective is to reproduce the atmosphere they experience in their first days of life when they hatch in the wild. After this period of acclimatization, the babies are transferred to rearing pens. Each one of these small pens contains groups of young ones according to their island of origin and date of birth. The pens will be their home for two years. After that time they go to a bigger open area. I call this place the “training camp,” and it is a place where the babies are free to walk wherever they want. Many plants are around so they can have occasional snacks that complement their supplied diet. An artificial small shallow pool is inside the area providing fresh water. There, the young ones drink happily, control their body temperature and clean themselves from ectoparasites that are found from time to time on their skin. After this adaptation period, when they are five years old, the babies are ready to be repatriated to their islands of origin. At this age they are big enough to defend themselves in the wild. To keep track of them once liberated, interesting methods are used. In addition to a small color-coded number that is painted on their shells, a microchip called a “PIT” tag (Position Integrated Transmitter) is implanted in each one of them. This tiny microchip is the size of a grain of rice but provides invaluable information. I admire deeply the efforts that are being made to save the Galapagos giant tortoises. Every week that I see these young tortoises I cannot refrain from feeling sincerely proud of these efforts.
