LONG LIVED TORTOISE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 116, 19 May 1930, Page 13

LONG LIVED TORTOISE

SCIENTISTS TO RESCUE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) XEWYOHK, 2nd April. tight Galapagos tortoises have left the Bronx /100 on a goodwill'tout-to Sydney obe presented to, New South Wales!'. The migration ot the huge lestudihates is part tion "U P " t0« *")"* ,them frolu eSt"lc" tion.. At present,-at 'the-ago of/ three to\ fne years, they only weiglrseveii to nine . pounds bttt^f their natural-: food, the "<££ ■tvs, holds out, they.'are, expected to-weigh .5001b and tolrve.4oo vear.s7 ■ ■-. Thoyare .portion-.of. a collection of ISO tortoises .back fi'om -Galapagos by Dr. Charles.Townsond, leader 6? the ±\ew *ork Zoological Society's expedition, lie tound the tortoises harassed and the young eaten by dogs and pigs—wild, ferocious descendants of sailors' pets left on the islands in the last century or so. Those which survive are in danger of beinoeaten by man, because they Tiave been es°tcemed for food since:sailing ships be"-an calling-at Galapagos for water in 1780. bailors discovered that, a 4001b tortoise coii d live without, food for months and still provide; good food1 for them. •'■•■■ -The tortoises have been distributed in lUorida, Southern California, Louisiana, Bermuda, and. the Hawaiian Islands. Each is tagged with a number, i Half-yearly reports will be sent to the Zoo' authorities here oil their food, weight, and measurements. All-those at the Bronx.Zoo are in good health. "Buster," who was received there in 1902, weighing 141b, now weighs 3551b.. . . ■:'■