Spring Tortoises of the Karoo

Springtime on the untouched veld of the Northern Cape, in South Africa, yields wild outbursts of flower power. The landscape harbors a wealth of bulbs — more than 1,350 species, including 80 endemics —  that don’t, and can’t, grow anywhere else.

Aldabra giant tortoise, Islands, Rodrigues, Tortoise Conservation

François Leguat Reserve

I’m excited about François Leguat Reserve because it is quite literally dependent on giant tortoises to serve their natural ecological functions and help do their part in restoring a portion of the island’s coastal ecosystem. Today more than 3,000 tortoises live on the 20-hectare reserve — replacement species for the original tortoises that went extinct.

Tortoise Conservation

Turtle Survival Center

The 10-year-old Turtle Survival Center in the pinewoods of South Carolina’s coastal plain is ground zero for the TSA’s long-term management and captive breeding program in North America.