Cousine Island is now home to an additional 46 saddleback tortoises!

One of our new tortoises.

We were informed a month ago about the biggest breeding centre for tortoises in the Seychelles closing down. An offer of their Giant Seychelles Tortoises, the original granitic tortoises of the Seychelles, was something not to be refused.

Getting them from Silhouette to Cousine Island was however not a straightforward project. First they had to be taken with a tractor and trailor from their enclosure to a barge where a crane lifted them onto the barge. The first barge took them to Mahe where they had to stay for 2 days to catch the barge to Cousine Island where they were carried off by hand. They finally arrived safely this week, 6 adults and 40 juveniles ranging from small babies to 7 years of age.

A tortoise being lifted by crane from the tractor trailer to the barge.The smaller tortoises loaded in the front of the barge.