Special Delivery

[tortadise]

Were pleased to announce a newly added group of Kinixys homeana. The added 13 specimens will be part of a program we hope to see in the future of reintroduction back into the wild. Tomas Diagne from the African chelonian institute is flying in from Senegal in December and will be visiting our center before Christmas. We are currently working together in funding his facilities in Senegal to facilitate hard/soft releases of Kinixys homeana F1 offspring. Super excited about these newly added specimens to the program and cannot wait to finally meet Tomas in person to discuss a great future for releasing captive bred tortoises back into the wild under protected lands. This is what conservation is all about to me.

Here's the new arrivals from a good friend in the states.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

amazing!

 

[pam]

Beautiful

 

[Yvonne G]

Good luck with the plans to release tortoises back into the wild, Kelly. Wish I could meet Tomas too.

 

[tortadise]

Good luck with the plans to release tortoises back into the wild, Kelly. Wish I could meet Tomas too.

Thanks. It's going to take some serious work. But I've been working hard at it. A lot goes into it. I mean a lot. Were genetic testing the adults, running barrages of medical screening, choosing a perfect area that is protected in the wild etc.. It's a major thing to achieve but as Paul Gibbons(Behler Chelonian Center) told me a few weeks ago "it's a mountain worth climbing". I get goosebumps knowing that the mission of our organization is beginning to fulfill the words of "repopulation". I remember mark(madkinns007) asking me what purpose that word had meaning to I'm our organizations name. Well that day when I record video of releasing these little offspring back into the wild will be that meaning of the word. Were hopeful to achieve this goal.

 

[DeanS]

I know there are Home's here and there in the hobby world...but what you are doing is a MAJOR undertaking! And, if anyone can pull it off it's you Kelly! Good luck and we expect lots and lots of updates!

 

[juli11]

Beautiful!!! I don't really understood from where they come.. Are they F1 specimens or WC animals from Senegal? It would be also interesting how do you keep them now after their trip ;-)

 

[bouaboua]

Best wishes to your program. I'm wish one day my wife and I can come visit your conservation program.

 

[wellington]

Kelly, I am so happy for you. I can feel your excitement through your post. I know you have mentioned before here and there about all the work you are doing for your big day some day soon, I hope, to reintroduce back to the wild. So glad it's starting to all come together, with an end for the big day in site.
Don't forget to let us in on some of the convo with Tomas and pics. of the chosen area if possible.
Again, I am so happy for you and the torts you are helping.

 

[tortadise]

Beautiful!!! I don't really understood from where they come.. Are they F1 specimens or WC animals from Senegal? It would be also interesting how do you keep them now after their trip ;-)

These are WC. The offspring which would be F1 will be the ones sent back to Senegal. I also have a few very successful breeders with homeana that we will purchase offspring and send them as well. What were trying to do is establish a public/private sector joint effort for releasing critically endangered species back into the natural habit. But only in protected lands. Will take about 4-5 years of releasing and annual data. Which will be done with a few university students from colleges here in the states and as well in the native ranges too. It's a very very complex plan. So far I'm up to 12 pages of the proposal were working on writing and not close to being done.

 

[tortadise]

I know there are Home's here and there in the hobby world...but what you are doing is a MAJOR undertaking! And, if anyone can pull it off it's you Kelly! Good luck and we expect lots and lots of updates!

Thanks. It will be a long slow process for sure. But once it happens it should be easier to move into other species.

 

[tortadise]

So far so good on this group. Eaten everything fruit wise. Nibbled on the greens. But they sure do like the leaf litter.

 

[Turtlepete]

Were these the ones that just recently showed up on fauna? Amazing project Kelly, congratulations. I really hope you can send some back, one day….

 

[tortadise]

Were these the ones that just recently showed up on fauna? Amazing project Kelly, congratulations. I really hope you can send some back, one day….

I dunno. Perhaps. I got them direct through a friend who imported them. Yep Tomas comes in second week of January to go over the first stage of the program. I figure spring-summer I will make it over to Senegal and see what we can fund to expand the area for the released specimens. Will be a glorious day in conservation when that time comes.