Visitors to Loro Parque now have the opportunity to observe the young Galapagos tortoises in their newly inaugurated habitat, now that it has reached the appropriate size for outdoor living.
The seven offspring, born at the Animal Embassy, can be seen alongside the exhibition of their imposing parents. The Animal Embassy houses spaces for animal care, scientific study, and raising awareness about the global environmental crisis.
The significant size difference between the offspring and the adults can be dangerous as the young ones could accidentally be stepped on by the larger tortoises. The recent expansion of the space aims to provide a safe and suitable environment for them. This extension reflects the continuous improvement process undertaken by Loro Parque in its facilities.
The young residents are the offspring of Tom, one of the longest-standing members of the Animal Embassy, who has been living at the zoo for over 50 years. Their two mothers, Tomasa and Ronaldiña, arrived at the zoo with the goal of initiating a breeding program, which has proven to be a resounding success.
Two of the baby Galapagos tortoises making their debut at Loro Parque. by Arturo Jiménez
Tom belongs to a rare species within the diverse group of Galapagos giant tortoises. The mothers of the hatchlings, Tomasa and Ronaldiña, are two females that came to Loro Parque from Zurich Zoo, the only one in Europe to have previously successfully bred this species. The arrival of the two females aimed to kick start the breeding project at Loro Parque, an initiative that has proven to be a success with these births.
The opening of this space is the result of a significant breeding achievement for the conservation of these species. Seven new offspring have joined the zoo’s family, positioning this institution as one of only two in Europe to have achieved such a feat, illustrating the immense complexity of their reproduction.
Currently, only about 15,000 specimens survive in the wild, out of the 250,000 counted when they were first discovered. This makes each of the newly born individuals invaluable to their species.
This success is the outcome of the dedication and effort of Loro Parque’s team of specialists, who have created optimal conditions for breeding after years of work within the specifically designed breeding program for this species.
A keeper at Loro Parque with Tom, the father of the seven Galapagos tortoise babies. by Arturo Jiménez
Galapagos tortoises are a species that have only been successfully bred in two accredited zoo institutions across Europe, one of them being Loro Parque, within the breeding program developed for this species.
The exceptional birth of the hatchlings at the Animal Embassy of Loro Parque represents a new hope for the survival of a highly threatened species that has already seen five of its subspecies disappear from the planet.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature categorizes Galapagos giant tortoises as an endangered or critically endangered species. For this reason, in 1959, the Ecuadorian government established the Galapagos National Park to protect their original habitat and decreed in 1970 the highest level of protection.
