New turtles at Dortmund Zoo: Diana and Katie are here!

New turtles at Dortmund Zoo: Diana and Katie are here!

The Dortmund Zoo has a new highlight for animal lovers: two female spurred tortoises, Diana and Katie, have just arrived and are causing a stir. These special animals come from a zoo in England and quickly settled into their new home. Together with the male Speedy and another turtle named Maxima, they form a lively four-person shared apartment in the turtle house, which is located in the Africa section of the zoo. Loud radio912.de The new residents have plenty of space to develop and enjoy the company of the five bat-eared foxes with whom they share the outdoor area.

The spurred tortoise, scientifically known as Centrochelys sulcata, is the third largest tortoise in the world and reaches a considerable weight of over 80 kilograms. Male representatives of this species can even weigh up to 100 kilograms. These impressive animals are popular not only because of their size, but also because of their characteristic features: their strongly serrated and upwardly curved edge shields as well as the flat back carapace with clear growth rings make them unique. According to the Zoofreunde Dortmund, spurred tortoises are often bred in captivity and are therefore also present in the Dortmund Zoo, where they were socialized appropriately with the bat-eared foxes ( zoofreunde-dortmund.de ).

Danger and protection

One of the sad facts about the spurred tortoise is how endangered it is. It has been listed as endangered since 1996 and has enjoyed critically endangered status since 2021. The main causes are loss of habitat and illegal hunting for international trade. Any form of awareness and protection program is therefore important for a sustainable future for this species. This species has its range in the Sahel region of Africa, where it thrives in grassland and shrubland areas with acacia and other plants.

The feeding habits of the spurred tortoise are as varied as their habitat. They eat a variety of plants and are known to be less picky. In zoos they are often allowed to live outdoors, which meets their need for sun and fresh air, as is also the case in Dortmund Zoo.

Future at Dortmund Zoo

With the addition of Diana and Katie, the Dortmund Zoo has not only gained two interesting animal personalities, but is also making a contribution to the protection of this impressive species. The zoo has recognized that education and information about the endangerment of this turtle species is crucial. Visitors can be inspired by the diversity of life in nature and at the same time do their part to protect it.

Over 400 institutions in Europe, including the Dortmund Zoo, care about keeping and breeding spurred tortoises. This shows how much interest there is in these remarkable animals and how important it is to preserve these knowledge resources for future generations ( zootier-lexikon.org ). The new turtle shared apartment at Dortmund Zoo gives reason to hope that biodiversity will continue to be preserved in the future.