Three years ago, Yogyakarta's Gembira Loka zoological gardens
\nacquired a pair of giant tortoises from the Indian Ocean island
\nof Aldabra, Seychelles, though the male of the rare animals is
\nailing.<\/p>\n
The hard-shelled reptiles -- the male of which is 110 cms
\nlong, the female 70 cms long -- were brought to my attention when
\nThe Jakarta Post reported the sickly male had been put on an
\nintravenous drip. When I contacted zoo veterinarian Mulyani by
\nphone, she said its excrement carried a protozoan and, thus, it
\nalso needed injections.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 26, I visited the zoo and watched the female walking
\non the grass, its shell was scratched all over as the fences are
\ntoo low to protect it. The male responded to camera flashes by
\nturning its head, indicating some recovery.<\/p>\n
According to my books about Seychelles and Aldabra, this atoll
\nis a sanctuary where around 5,000 such tortoises are left in the
\nwild without human intervention.<\/p>\n
Gembira Loka authorities said the protected Aldabra reptiles
\nhad been obtained from a zoo in Spain rather than from
\nSeychelles, in exchange for Indonesia's Komodo dragons.<\/p>\n
SUNARTO PRAWIROSUJANTO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-years-ago-yogyakartas-gembira-loka-zoological-gardens-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }