Update on the Mojave Desert Tortoises! | EarthxNews | EarthX - video Dailymotion

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EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/   Dr. James Danoff-Burg, VP of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens , shares an update on the seventy critically endangered Mojave desert tortoises that were recently released back into the wild.   About EarthxNews:  A weekly program dedicated to covering the stories that shape the planet. Featuring the latest updates in energy, environment, tech, climate, and more.    EarthX  Love Our Planet.  The Official Network of Earth Day.    About Us:  At EarthX, we believe our planet is a pretty special place. The people, landscapes, and critters are likely unique to the entire universe, so we consider ourselves lucky to be here. We are committed to protecting the environment by inspiring conservation and sustainability, and our programming along with our range of expert hosts support this mission. We’re glad you’re with us.     EarthX is a media company dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet. We take an omni channel approach to reach audiences of every age through its robust 24/7 linear channel distributed across cable and FAST outlets, along with dynamic, solution oriented short form content on social and digital platforms. EarthX is home to original series, documentaries and snackable content that offer sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. EarthX is the only network that delivers entertaining and inspiring topics that impact and inspire our lives on climate and sustainability.       EarthX Website: https://earthxmedia.com/    Follow Us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthxtv/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthxtv  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earthxtv      How to watch:   United States:   - Spectrum  - AT&T U-verse (1267)  - DIRECTV (267)  - Philo  - FuboTV  - Plex   #EarthDay #Environment #Sustainability #Eco-friendly #Conservation #EarthxTV #EarthX

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00:00Recently, we reported on an effort to safeguard the endangered Mojave Desert tortoise in California,

00:08in which 70 baby tortoises were returned to the wild, a move scientists say was successful

00:13because the little ones woke up after hibernating in their natural environment for six months.

00:19Several wildlife organizations in the state are at the forefront of the initiative.

00:23And joining us now for an update on the project is one of the scientists involved with the

00:27effort, Dr. James Danoff-Berg, Vice President of the Conservation at the Living Desert Zoo

00:32and Gardens.

00:33Thank you so much for joining us.

00:35Can you tell us what the latest is on these 70 babies that just woke up from their deep

00:39sleep?

00:40Of course.

00:41Yeah, we're very excited to be a part of this process.

00:45This head-starting program is a way to ensure the survivability of the species going forward.

00:52What the greatest times at which tortoises are at risk is when they're babies, when they're

00:57very young, especially.

00:58And so this cohort of 70 has been released out into the wild at Edwards Air Force Base.

01:04And so they are subject to all of the things that baby tortoises are subject to, but less

01:10of them because they are so much larger because of our head-starting program.

01:15With the head-starting program, we're releasing them at the equivalent of being around three

01:19or four years of age, as opposed to being the age that they actually are, which is only

01:24less than a year.

01:25So as a consequence, because they're so much larger, their tendency to be eaten by predators

01:30is a lot less.

01:32So of these 70 that we've released, they all have trackers.

01:37So of the 70 that we've released, only four have been actually preyed upon, three by ravens

01:43and one by a dog or a coyote.

01:46So that's sad to lose those four, of course, but that is much less than what they would

01:51have been if they had not gone through the head-starting program with us.

01:56What do you hope to learn about the species now that they're awake from hibernation?

02:01What we really hope to learn is how they learn from what they've had in the experience.

02:06And they're very short lives.

02:08They've been trained on how to deal with predators.

02:11They've been trained on how to create burrows.

02:13A lot of being a tortoise is figuring out the world.

02:18We have helped to reduce that learning curve for them.

02:22Is this the only group of the Mojave Desert tortoise that has been released into the wild?

02:27No, actually, this is our third cohort.

02:30Actually second cohort that we've done.

02:31We have a third one that's going to be released later this summer.

02:35So this is an ongoing collaboration that we have with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

02:39and also the Edwards Air Force Base.

02:42This is a great three-part conservation effort to try to ensure the survival of this really

02:48iconic species.

02:50And what's your hope for the future?

02:52What's next for the Mojave tortoise?

02:54Oh, more of the same.

02:56We want to continue to do this.

02:58It's not just effective scientifically, it's also so heartwarming.

03:03They are so insanely adorable as babies.

03:07Getting to care for them on a regular basis is really the highlight of, I think, a lot

03:11of my team's year.

03:13So we want to be able to expand and continue this project into the future.

03:18So we're in the process of trying to find ways to make that happen.

03:22They are very adorable.

03:23Sea turtles, turtles are my favorite animals.

03:25So I love that you guys are doing this work.

03:27Dr. Dan Offberg, thank you for coming on.

03:29Thank you for your time.

Update on the Mojave Desert Tortoises! | EarthxNews | EarthX

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