All creatures great and small | The Karoo Dwarf Tortoise
Caring for the Karoo Dwarf Tortoise is an act of stewardship for our planet. It reminds us that even the smallest creatures have a significant impact on the world around them. By championing the cause of the elusive Karoo Dwarf Tortoise, we are advocating for conservation, biodiversity and the protection of our natural heritage.
Photo source: The Turtle Hub
Sir David Attenborough would be proud. On a chilly Monday evening in June, around 60 people gathered in one of the Art Deco spaces of the Montagu Country Hotel to become acquainted with the elusive and endangered Karoo Dwarf Tortoise (Chersobius boulengeri), endemic to the rocky, succulent areas of South Africa.
"Karoo Dwarf Tortoises serve as (small-scale) ecosystem engineers by aiding in plant dispersal, which is essential for ecosystem regeneration. With their foraging behaviour and dietary preferences for specific plant species, they play a crucial role in maintaining plant diversity and promoting seed germination." -Muntaseer Rahman
Esther Matthew - the conservationist rep from the Endangered Wildlife Trust - gave an enlightening presentation without resorting to guilt-tripping, and her enthusiasm for these little creatures was contagious. I won't regale you with a list of fascinating facts about this tiny 'padloper' tortoise; you can easily find what you need to know on Google or YouTube.
I will tell you that they measure a mere 10cm in length and the tiny Karoo Dwarf Tortoise hatchlings are only 2cm. (So sweet, I know).
Photo source: Tyrone Ping on Terra Gecko Magazine Facebook Page
My reason for writing about the Karoo Dwarf Tortoise is slightly more reflective and philosophical.
Despite Greta Thunberg and Gen Z activists expressing strong concerns about previous generations' environmental impact, a small-town hotel in the Klein Karoo was jam packed with ‘eager beavers’ (the majority over 60 years in age) ready to learn and take action in protecting and preserving the elusive Karoo Dwarf Tortoise whose natural habitat could be on our doorstep.
In fact, a search party of interested community members - alongside Esther, and Handre, the entomologist - was organised for the following day at the Montagu Nature Garden. (The scouting would begin after the obligatory 10h00 tea and cake in the garden, but also because that is when these little tortoises are likely to crawl out of their rocky hiding places and be active). If a Karoo Dwarf Tortoise was spotted, that would set the scene for trained scent-detection dogs to be dispatched for a nose around and much excitement for the Drylands Conservation Programme.
This is why Sir David Attenborough would be proud:
The 10 June 2024 stands as a conservation historical marker when a group of Montagu locals chose to come together and find out what small role they can play in preserving the future of the elusive Karoo Dwarf Tortoise.
Perhaps it's naive to reference the ‘Starfish story,’ but if we can find and rescue just one little Karoo Dwarf Tortoise, who knows what that could mean for the future of this tortoise species, our fynbos ecosystem and maintaining local plant diversity?
Cliched as it may be, awareness is the beginning of change and knowledge is power. So hats off to those who came to learn. It's a start. 60 more people have been educated.
In the grand scheme of things, 60 people may be a drop in the ocean.
But, as our grandchildren visit and sit on our laps and walk hand-in-hand with us, we can now be the local storytellers and guardians of the elusive and endangered Karoo Dwarf Tortoise, the Riverine Rabbit (sighted in the Barrydale area) and the Golden Mole (with its iridescent hair and spotted up the West Coast).
Let us be ‘Gen X and Baby Boomer influencers,’ inspiring future generations to be actively invested in the world they are growing up in and teaching them to care about all creatures, great and small.
Progress may be painfully slow, but as Aesop's fable reminds us, ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’
P.S. If you do happen to spot a Karoo Dwarf Tortoise, take a photo, note the GPS co-ordinates and please contact Esther Matthew at estherm@ewt.org.za (She would love to hear from you).
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