Cristina Hodgson
THE Policia Local of Coria del Rio (Sevilla) have rescued a ‘large’ Sulcata tortoise in the Pudio River, a tributary of the Guadalquivir.
The Sulcata tortoise, an Afrotropical species is considered to be the largest land tortoise in Africa as it can reach 85 centimetres in length and 100 kilos in weight and is an animal that is threatened by desertification, among other factors.
According to the City Council of Coria, it was a resident of the Sevillian municipality who sounded the alert.
Once the animal was located, the agents contacted the Endangered Species Recovery Center and transferred it to the Police Headquarters to ‘put it in a safe place and feed it’.
Meanwhile, the mandatory steps have also been taken with the Cañada de los Pajaros, the first Concerted Natural Reserve in Andalusia, located in the Doñana region of La Puebla del Rio (Sevilla), where the technicians have decided to take care of the turtle so that it receives ‘the necessary care for its survival.’
The natural habitat of the Sulcata tortoise is the southern Sahara desert. At present, it only survives in national parks and reserves.
The Sulcata tortoise is a species that is threatened by the growth of cities, desertification, agriculture and traditional medicine.
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