Sierra the Galapagos Tortoise had one shell of a journey today!

The 50-year-old male tortoise had been living in our Vet Hospital while he recovered from an injury to his plastron – the bottom part of his shell. 

Following a full recovery, keepers devised a plan to get this slooooow tortoise back to his home. 

Tipping the scales at around 240kg, transporting an animal like Sierria is certainly no mean feat, no matter how short the distance. 


With food encouragement from his keepers and a whole lot of patience, Sierra walked up into a float, was driven to his habitat’s entrance, and then set the pace for a slow walk to his new digs. 

Plus, while he was resting and recuperating in the Hospital, we gave his habitat a facelift!

The upgrade to his home involved a revamped hut, a new pond to enjoy and brand-new scale pits. These scales allow keepers to weigh the tortoises in their habitat with ease. 

Well done, Sierra!