Conservationists at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in Suffolk, United Kingdom, are celebrating the arrival of a very special new baby.
The wildlife facility has just announced the hatching of a critically endangered pancake tortoise as a result of its monitored incubation program.
The new baby, a female, is being called a “rare and welcome boost” for the species, whose population has declined by around 80% over the past 30 years.
Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife cites habitat loss and the illegal pet trade as key factors in the species' decline, and The International Union for Conservation of Nature notes others, including climate change, residential and commercial development, and changes to their natural environment. The IUCN lists the pancake tortoise as critically endangered.
Named for the flat shape of its shell, the pancake tortoise adapted to successfully hide and build habitats in rocky hills and outcrops across East Africa, especially in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and northern Zambia.
According to a social media video from the wildlife center, illegal mining is also a large threat to the species in their native countries.
“People come and blow up these huge areas of land that these tortoises will live in because they kind of burrow themselves in between rocks,” Kyle Thomas, a wildlife content creator, said in a video for Jimmy’s.
“So, to have her here,” referring to the new baby, “and that she might produce her own offspring one day is very, very exciting.”
The offspring of parent tortoises Waffle and Maple, the new baby at Jimmy’s marks an exciting conservation milestone for the wildlife center’s incubation program.
“We’re delighted to welcome this tiny new arrival,” a spokesperson for Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park said in a statement.
“The egg was carefully incubated by our team and seeing a healthy female hatchling emerge is a fantastic moment. With Pancake Tortoise populations having fallen dramatically in the wild, every successful hatch is incredibly important.”
According to the wildlife center, the hatchling is “thriving” behind the scenes and has invited members of the public to submit name suggestions via social media.
“This little tortoise is a symbol of hope for the future of the species and highlights the vital work being done to protect some of the world’s most threatened animals,” the statement from the nature center concluded. “We can’t wait to see what name the public chooses for her.”
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Header image courtesy of Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park
