Slow and steady wins the race!
On Tuesday, three Galápagos tortoises — Dolly, Polly, and Priscilla — made an epic journey from their old exhibit to their new home inside theZSL London Zoo, walking about 656 feet to reach the zoo’s new Giants of the Galápagos exhibit.
Each 26-year-old tortoise sister got a dedicated zookeeper to guide them through the journey to their new home. Zookeepers helped the tortoises along with snacks, using the treats to encourage the animals to walk forward, short distances at a time.
Zoological Society of London
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“As it is a relatively short distance between their old and new homes, we decided to forego moving vans and gave Dolly, Polly, and Priscilla the option to walk there –— albeit with specially designed travel crates on hand as a backup if anyone changed their mind,” said Dr. Chris Michaels, the zoo’s head of the herpetology, in a statement.
According to ZSL, the zookeepers spent months preparing for the big move training the tortoises to follow bright-colored cones in hopes of navigating the shortest distance throughout the 36-acre property.
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The three will now remain at the Giants of the Galápagos exhibitin preparation for its public opening on Saturday, October 9.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to our new Giants of the Galápagos exhibitin October when it officially opens to the public — there’s so much to learn about the wildlife on these incredible islands,” Michaels said.
source: people.com
