from the archives
A Giant Success The popular giants had been living at the San Diego Zoo since their arrival from the Galápagos Islands in 1928. They were part of New York Zoological Society (now Wildlife Conservation Society) efforts to establish breeding colonies at select zoos worldwide to save the species from extinction. Almost 30 years later, ours had not reproduced, and other zoos were not having much luck, either. What did we need to provide for our Galápagos tortoises to encourage breeding? Sand! In the past, eggs laid in our tortoise yard’s hard-packed dirt never proved fertile. So, in late 1957, part of the dirt in the yard was replaced with river-bottom sand. Just two months later, six clutches of eggs, looking like white billiard balls, were laid in the middle of the sandy area. Pictured is one of the proud parents with Jerry Staedeli, principal reptile keeper. On October 21, 1958, our first Galápagos tortoise eggs hatched. And more eggs hatched in 1961, 1962, and 1963. Success at last! In 1964, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums presented its prestigious Edward H. Bean Award to the San Diego Zoo in recognition of our efforts and results. The annual award honors a “truly significant captive propagation effort that clearly enhances the conservation of the species.”
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ZOONOOZ
SEPTEMBER 2014