Visitors to Loro Parque now have the opportunity to see seven young Galápagos tortoises in their newly made habitat, now that they have reached the correct size for outdoor living. The seven hatchlings, born in the Animal Embassy at the zoo in Tenerife, can be seen alongside their parents.
The significant size difference between the hatchlings and the adults can be perilous, as the young tortoises can accidentally be stepped on by the larger ones. The recent expansion of space aims to provide a safe and suitable environment for them, mirroring Loro Parque's ongoing commitment to improving its facilities for its inhabitants.
The young tortoises are offspring of Tom, one of the oldest members of the Animal Embassy, who has been living in the zoo for over 50 years. Their two mothers, Tomasa and Ronaldiña, arrived as part of a breeding program to increase their numbers, which has proven to be a resounding success.
Tom belongs to a rare species within the diverse group of Galápagos giant tortoises, and the mothers are two females that came to Loro Parque from Zurich Zoo, the only one in Europe to have previously successfully bred this species.
Currently, there are only around 15,000 Galápagos tortoises in the wild, from the 250,000 counted when they were first discovered. This highlights the incalculable value of each newly born specimen for their species.
This success is the result of the dedication and hard work of Loro Parque's team of specialists, who have created optimal conditions for their reproduction after years of work within the specifically designed breeding program for this species.
