CAPE TOWN, South Africa — This month, an extraordinary community effort emerged in southern Madagascar to rescue thousands of critically endangered tortoises that were displaced from their sanctuary due to severe flooding instigated by a tropical cyclone.
The Lavavolo Tortoise Center, which housed approximately 12,000 radiated and spider tortoises confiscated from wildlife traffickers, faced a dire situation when Cyclone Dikeledi struck the region in mid-January. The floodwaters, rising to about a meter (3.2 feet), overwhelmed the sanctuary, leading to the shocking scenario of these tortoises, many of whom were still relatively young at ages ranging between 25-50 years, being swept away.
In response to this crisis, sanctuary employees, local residents, and even law enforcement officials collaborated in a heroic rescue initiative, navigating through floodwaters with large containers to recover the disoriented tortoises. Some of the rescuers ingeniously fashioned makeshift rafts from damaged structures to assist the stranded tortoises as they searched for their companions.
According to Hery Razafimamonjiraibe, Madagascar’s director for the Turtle Survival Alliance, which oversees the sanctuary, there is hope that more than 10,000 tortoises were successfully saved, although a thorough count is still pending. This task, he noted, is challenging since tortoises can move surprisingly quickly when motivated and often do not cooperate with their rescuers.
So far, around 700 deceased tortoises have been retrieved, with Razafimamonjiraibe indicating that these animals became trapped amid rocks and debris during the floods. “Fortunately, most of the tortoises were able to float,” he explained, adding, “Tortoises are actually very good swimmers; you should see them in action.”
While the majority of the rescued tortoises have returned to the sanctuary, the flooding inflicted significant damage on the center, which lost considerable infrastructure, as reported by the Turtle Survival Alliance.
The Lavavolo Tortoise Center underwent extensive renovations in 2018 after authorities seized a large group of 10,000 radiated tortoises from traffickers, necessitating the creation of a secure environment for them. Since then, additional confiscated tortoises have been brought to the center.
Radiated tortoises, primarily found at Lavavolo, are indigenous to Madagascar and typically grow to about 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in length. These tortoises have remarkable longevity, often surpassing 100 years of life. A notable piece of history connects them to British explorer Captain James Cook, who reportedly gifted one to the Tongan royal family in 1777; this tortoise lived until 1966, reaching the impressive age of 188.
Both radiated and spider tortoises face critical endangerment in Madagascar, primarily due to habitat loss and poaching. Their unique and striking shell patterns, which feature vibrant yellow and black markings, have made them targets for illegal trafficking as exotic pets. The Turtle Survival Alliance noted that at one point, there were tens of millions of radiated tortoises in Madagascar. However, their populations have sharply declined, and they have vanished from 65% of their natural habitats.
