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Photos: Moving Galapagos Tortoises

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Animal Care Specialist, Scott Voss, along with Director of Animal Programs, Jay Tetzloff, move the first of four tortises out of their temporary housing.
Voss and Tetzloff move the tortoise onto the back of a Gator motoried cart for transport to the exhibit.
Scott drives while Jay watches the tortoise.

Voss and Tezloff carefully move a tortoise from the back of the cart.
Gripping the large animal becomes tricky, as their shells can be fragile.
With weights easily in excess of 600 pounds, these creatures are not easy to move. As evident in the tortoises very slow demeanor.

Two areas with enough grip are in the front left and right, and back left and right of the tortoise shell.
Voss and Tezloff choose an area to release the tortoise into the exhibit.
Unlike other animals, keepers don't have to get out of the way once the animal is released.

The newly seeded tortoise exhibit is adjacent to the waterfowl habitat, directly behind primates.