On August 13, the traditional event of lifting and weighing giant Galapagos tortoises took place at the Riga Zoo, which is celebrating its anniversary this morning. Already 20 years!
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During these twenty years, the Galapagos tortoise Trina and Chelsea, under the leadership of Grandmaster Raimonds Bergmanis, was raised on the scales by the greatest Latvian and European powerlords, Mr. Universe Aivars Visockis, “power wife” Jolanta Logina, world champions and Olympic medalists, as well as the Latvian champion in wives hiking and many others.
When weighing in the beginning Raimonds Bergmanis successfully coped with the difficult task alone, because the mighty tortoises weighed only half a hundred kilograms, then the strongman became increasingly difficult. Also this year, R. Bergmanis was not alone, inviting Kārlis Bardelis, who has circled around the hemisphere in a rowing boat and has met the huge water turtles more than once during his trip, as well as competed with them in his rowing skills. However, during his Pacific voyage, he did not visit the Galapagos Islands to see the giant Galapagos turtles alive and bring greetings to Trina and Chelsea from their wild relatives.
- You can get to know Kārlis Bardelis in more detail in this article, where he reveals the details of his two – year journey across the Pacific.
Photo from the turtle weighing event:
According to the zoo, the regular calls of ancient sailors to the Galapagos Islands led to a sharp decline in the number of large slow reptiles living there. Sailors replenished food supplies on the islands, including destroying (eating) almost all turtles. The population decreased from 250,000 animals in the 16th century to 3,000 in the 1970s.
The Galapagos tortoises Trina and Chelsea were brought to the Riga Zoo from Chicago in 1995, and Raimonds Bergmanis began to carry and weigh them in the summer of 2001, when the mighty reptiles weighed only about 40 kilograms. In 2019, the largest tortoise Trina weighed 117 kilograms (an increase of 1 kilogram during the year), but Chelsea – 90 kilograms (thinner than 2 kilograms).
On the other hand, after today’s weighing, it became known that the weight of Trine is five kilograms less than 12 months ago – 112 kilograms. Chelsea, on the other hand, has gained some weight. Instead of the former 90 kilograms, the weight now reaches 92.5 kilograms, the portal “My Friend” learned at the zoo.
Stable and predictable weight gain for adult reptiles is no longer expected and small fluctuations are possible, according to the zoo. Although it is believed that reptiles of this species can reach a weight of up to 150 kilograms, it is more of a theoretical possibility.
In the wild, Galapagos tortoises are found in the Galapagos Islands. Of the 15 subspecies of these turtles inhabiting a single island, five have already disappeared. Mainly for the production of hunted meat. Males of this species reach 225 kilograms (record 270 kilograms), females – 100-150 kilograms. The probable life expectancy is about 150 years and more.
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