Achievement

Report Curieuse February 2016

Report Title
How Tiny Are Giant Tortoises?

Objective
Increase scientific knowledge and interest for Curieuse Island through conservation research,
community education and tourist awareness.

Summary
Every six months the staff and volunteers at GVI Curieuse venture over to the giant tortoise nursery
at the SNPA Ranger Station to monitor the progress of the juveniles, and assess whether they are
ready to be released into the wild. This conservation research increases scientific knowledge and
interest for Curieuse Island by monitoring health and growth rates, and tourist awareness for any
that might be visiting for the day.

Report
The staff and volunteers of GVI Curieuse attended the giant tortoise nursery at the Curieuse Ranger
Station to measure and weigh the hatchlings and juveniles. The nursery was built to house any
tortoises small enough to be vulnerable to predation by rats, and the individuals are protected and
fed until they are approximately five years old, at which point they should be able to survive on their
own in the wild.

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The tortoise population on Curieuse is of Aldabran Giant Tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea),
relocated between 1978 and 1982 to establish a secondary population in case any disaster such as
disease or another tsunami was to befall the only remaining population on Aldabra. Despite around
250 or so animals being originally relocated the wild population is now only around half that
number, and it has not been clear why the population was not reproducing and increasing. In recent
years since the nursery was established however, any at risk tortoises found in the field by SNPA or
GVI staff have been taken to the nursery to be protected and looked after, and there are currently
28 hatchlings and juveniles housed there.

The biannual study is always quite an event for GVI staff and volunteers, and also for any tourists
who happen to be in the area. Most of the time the tortoises can only be viewed behind mesh
screens, so being able to see the little ones roaming around outside their enclosure has a massive
cuteness factor. Compared to the adults, they appear to actually be quite fast as they explore and
try to escape, and it can be a bit of a challenge to keep them in check! The tourists are always very
interested to get a much more close up view, and its a great boost for Curieuse Island which is
sustained in large part by the daily landing fees paid by visitors. Anything that increases the
attraction value of the island for tourists inevitably leads to more sustainable revenue into SNPA,
and therefore contributes greatly to the conservation of the island.

The little tortoises are individually measured and weighed, and marked with a paint pen to identify
them. There are now 28 individuals in the nursery, over half of which were discovered during the
past year, and they range from less than a year old up to approximately five years old. These two
older individuals will shortly be fitted with electronic Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags and
released into the wild to roam free. All the other hatchlings have shown that they are growing well
so in a handful of years we should be starting to see the increase in the population weve been
awaiting for so long.

The answer to the question How tiny is a giant tortoise? Very!

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