giant tortise dies 350 years old

[instar]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502081093.html :cry:

 

[angelrose]

It probably died of embarrassment, a majestic creature like that being treated like a dog.....

Angel

 

[instar]

I assume it died from bad diet. possibly infection from the wound. bloddy shame. I wonder how long it would have continued to live had its diet been more suitable and properly monitored? 350 is a hell of an old age, even outdoes Harriet at ozzy zoo.

 

[Retic]

I doubt very much it was anywhere near that age, their are lots around well over 100 but these were estimated at 300 when captured, yeah right.

 

[Macca]

Yes, very suspicious to me too. Sounds like that giant retic that was in the news many months ago. Aldbara Torotises (from the Seychelles) can way up to about 250kg to my knowledge. 1 tonne sounds extremely far-fetched. I'm still trying to work out how they got 100 people standing around the animal to help bury it.

 

[instar]

Harriet at australia zoo is approaching 200 years, who knows how old they can live. It would be extremly long lived at that age but it may not be impossible.

 

[Retic]

The trouble is ages get exaggerated over the years but I would doubt very much they get anywhere near 300 let alone 350. Also yes the weight is extremely far fetched and I also was trying to imagine 100 people lifting the tortoise into a hole.

 

[ether]

100 people couldnt even get enough hand space each to lift it. What can you expect with news stations and such. They love to exaggerate to make it a good story.

 

[instar]

LOl, the heaviest sea turtle was a leather back at 817 kgs ! A land tortise though, heaviest galapagos ever recorded was 618 lbs (wheres biguy when ya need him to convert) Told ya id forget that.

 

[angelrose]

if you type 618 lbs to kilos it comes up with 618 pounds = 280.320085 kilograms

 

[redline]

wow now thats big.

 

[Hickson]

What can you expect with news stations and such

In this case, the News reporter has done a reasonable job in qualifying his statements, he has just been repeating what he'd been told by the owner, Pastor Grace Kitaka. It doesn't sound like the journo was even at the burial.



Hix

 

[bigguy]

The worlds heaviest Land Tortoise was 280kg, and the one just buried was 1000kg and 350years old. If they only had it 50 years, how on earth did they estimate it was 300years old when they rec'd it. Did they count the rings or something. When are the media going to stop exagerating everything they ever report on reptiles.

 

[Hickson]

Bob,

Read my post. In this instance, the media are quoting what they have been told : "...were estimated at 300 years before they were imported into the country about half a century ago."

My interpretation is that people 50 years ago estimated them to be 300 years old...............and the story continues over the years, until it is believed to be gospel. And then someone tells it to a journo, and tells it as a fact.




Hix