114-Year-Old Zoo Turtle Has 18 New Babies During Lockdown

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114-Year-Old Zoo Turtle Has 18 New Babies During Lockdown | Country Music Videos

Sharleen Khan (left) / Clarence Rambharat (right) - Facebook

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On June 5th, 2020, zoological officers at the Emperor Valley Zoo and other folks around the world celebrated 18 new babies that successfully hatched.

100 years old, 18 babies! Today on World Environment Day 2020 themed “It’s Time For Nature” we celebrate the arrival of 18 hatchlings from the eggs laid during the COVID 19 lockdown by the Emperor Valley Zoo’s 100-year-old South American River turtle. It’s a signal made clear by COVID 19. As our planet develops at unprecedented speed, we must care for nature. Just over two months ago the Zoo announced the turtle laid eggs on land within its enclosure instead of the pond it had previously laid. The Zoo felt this was due to the closure of the facility in mid-March and the comfort the turtle may have felt in venturing out the pond and onto the sandy area to deposit the eggs. The hatching today is excellent news and demonstrates the importance on World Environment Day of striking the balance between human activity and care for nature. As UN Secretary General António Guterres says in his 2020 message, to care for humanity we must care for nature.

Posted by Senator The Honourable Clarence Rambharat on Friday, June 5, 2020

The 114-year-old South American river turtle laid her eggs in the sand on April 2020 at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Spain. She typically laid them in her pond water where they were not able to properly incubate, so the zoo was very happy to see her bury her eggs. It was the first time she laid eggs on land since 1992.

Zoological officers suspect the reason she finally laid them on land instead of in the water was because the zoo is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. With fewer visitors walking around and cars driving by making noise, it appears she felt comfortable with laying the eggs. 

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat saying,“The Zoo felt this was due to the closure of the facility in mid-March and the comfort the turtle may have felt in venturing out of the pond and onto the sandy area to deposit the eggs.” 

Sharlene Khan, a zoological officer said that the turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtle species in the world and was brought to the zoo in 1952. They are highly aquatic, weigh up to 200 pounds, and have shells that grow longer than 30 inches across. They are also listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Hear more about the turtle below.

Zoological Officer Speaks About The Turtle Below

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