Turtle hatchlings on the Galapagos Islands. After more than a century, here is a truly unexpected sighting. The recent births are helping save endangered animals from the brink of extinction.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Puppies of turtle on Galapagos islands. After more than a century, here is a truly unexpected sighting. The recent births are helping save endangered animals from the brink of extinction.
The babies were spotted by a group of researchers last December. After such a long wait, the event aroused great amazement in one of them, the researcher James gibbs. The sailors landed for the first time on theisland of Pinzon in the mid-18th century they had triggered an environmental catastrophe that had lasted for generations.
The rats aboard the boats had reached the island and started preying on turtle eggs and larvae, which until then had faced very few natural enemies. The action of the rats was as devastating over time as it was in the decades that followed not a single baby tortoise survived the slaughter.
Il risk of extinction it was therefore very high, despite the long life expectancy of the adult turtles. Human activity has threatened these endangered animals, but it has also helped save them. In 1960, when there were only 100 turtles left on the island, conservationists began to work harder and harder to save the species.
In 2012 to save the turtles from extinction it was necessary to eradicate all the rats on the island. A drastic action which, however, turned out to be fundamental for the baby turtles to finally survive.
Last December the researchers realized that the implemented plan had worked and witnessed the birth of 10 new baby turtles, a real baby-boom compared to the previous situation. Gibbs and his team of researchers spotted 300 turtles on their last trip to the island.
In the opinion of experts, this means that there are more than 500 specimens. Man can endanger animals, but he can also intervene to save them. Hopefully the Galapagos tortoises are finally safe from the risk of extinction.
Marta Albè
Photo source: thedodo.com
Read also:
Giant tortoises believed to be extinct return to their Galapagos after 100 years
Last Galapagos giant tortoise dead
