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Saving Baby Tortoise

  1. Posted on Tuesday 18 August 2009 - 22:41
    paddingtonkenya
    Image of paddingtonkenya
    The tortoise was in the middle of the road-The car was just about to run over it when we saw it and made noise for the driver to stop-a baby tortoise in the middle of the dusty road trying to make its way across.

    I manage to help it across but not after it excreted some discharge on my clothes-probably a defensive mechanism when it feels threatened.

    I helped it across the road but then on closer scrutiny realised that it's shell had cracks-probably from a fatal run over before.For a baby tortoise-that must have been a nasty run in.

    Illtareto in Kajiado district is a wildlife area frequented by the antelopes who stray from the nearby parks looking for pasture.The tortoise is among the many animal species that adorn the landscape.

    Kajiado is a Maasai community area with several national parks like Tsavo and Amboseli.The land is part of the Maasai ancestral land that they the Maasai have owned for over a millennium.

    According to Wikipedia ,the oldest tortoise ever recorded, almost the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tu'i Malila, which was a gift to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook . Tui Malila died of natural causes on May 19, 1965.It was born in 1777 and died at the age of 188.It even met Queen Elizabeth II during her visit in 1953.

    Hemingway spent much time in Kajiado. He hunted the wild animals there and was warden there in the early 1950's .Much of his stay there is documented in his book 'True at First Light.'

    As for the baby tortoise in Illtareto-we can only hope that it lives that long. And that other visitors in the area will be on high alert for wildlife crossing since there is no sign post indicating so.
    Saving Baby Tortoise





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