 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Giant tortoise in France dies at 146
Paris (AFP) Dec 4, 2009 One of the oldest giant tortoises in Europe has died at its home in Paris at the age of 146, its carers said on Friday. Kiki, a male tortoise, was brought to France fully grown from Mauritius in 1923, Michel Saint-Jalme, director of the wildlife centre in Paris's Jardin des Plantes where the animal lived, told AFP. Kiki stayed in Paris throughout the German occupation in the World War ll right up to his death on Monday from an infection due to lesions in his gut -- something not unusual for a tortoise of his age, Saint-Jalme said. "He was eating normally," Saint-Jalme said. "But he had been showing signs that he was not well for several days." Kiki weighed 250 kilograms (550 pounds) and had to be moved around using a fork-lift machine. He left behind him four other younger and smaller giant tortoises in the wildlife centre. Saint-Jalme said he believed Kiki to be one of the biggest tortoises in Europe -- among some 375 of the endangered species of giant tortoises in captivity and 150,000 in the wild. "We are all rather moved by his death, because he was one of the stars of the gardens," Saint-Jalme said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
Sweden allows first wolf hunt in 45 yearsStockholm (AFP) Dec 2, 2009 Sweden will this winter allow its first wolf hunt in 45 years following a decision by the Scandinavian country's parliament to limit their number, authorities said Wednesday. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is to announce by mid-December its quota for the wolf cull, expected to be between 20 and 40 animals, Susanna Loefgren of the agency told AFP. "That (number is) what ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook