FIVE STEPPE TORTOISES (Agrionemys horsfieldii) AT CARAPAX.

  From Russia...with love

Dalla Russia .....con amore.... 

                                    

This species lives in the steppes of Central Asia mainly in the former Soviet Republics as Kazakistan and Turkmenistan. It is the most common relative of Testudo hermanni and so it can hibridise easily. For this reasin the International RANA Foundation who runns the scientific part of Carapax has always been opposed to the import of the species in Europe. Unfortunately in the last decades thousends of them have been imported and 98% didn’t survive their first year of captivity, depleating nature in Central Asia and polluting our fauna. They were given to Carapax by wellknown german tortoise breeder who wrote the first keeping guides for tortoises in Germany and who kept this animals for more than 30 years. We hope that the horsfieldi’s will feel at their ease at Carapax where they will continue to live for livespan as it is impossible and useless to reimpatriate them as long as trade continues.

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 EMYS CONSERVATION

EMYS CONSERVATION wants to unite all the efforts for a concrete protection of these frigile creatures who are disappaering everywhere in Europe: the European pond turtle or European terrapin.
The RANA Group and its Carapax Centre have put their whole reception structure breeding and headstarting structures of Emys, with more than 25 breeding pairs, under the flag and international coordination of EMYS CONSERVATION. This facility has been renewed and enlarged and was inaugurated by Chairman Alain Veysset who will be garantee projects of reintroduction with individuals born at Carapax, following rigorously genotipes of origin that have been analised with the help of the universtity of Hamburg and this for the whole aerea of distriburion ranging from Russia till Italy, Spain and Northern Africa.

An international expert group has been founded for the rescuing of the only real European pond turtle which is Emys orbicularis. The group is led by the Franchman Alain Veysset with the support of the Carapax Centre and its French sister SOPTOM, as well as by international experts from the Swiss SIGS, the French SHF and the Belgian RANA.

The Carapax Centre has allready realised with success projects for the rescuing and the reintroduction of terrapins in Tuscany, in Lombardy (Parco delle Groane, Parco dell’Adda Sud, Parco del Mincio in preparation) and in the Veneto (Bosco Nordio), as well as in Tunesia (National Park of Ichkul), in Spain, in France, and collaborates with projects in Switzerland.

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BELGIAN SERPENTARIUM SENDS BIG TORTOISE

The Belgian Serpentarium has sent from Blankenberge redfooted tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) to the Carapax Centre. It is a large male of 5,2 Kg that lived alone in the Belgian Centre. For the transformations that the Serpentarium is doing in application of European animal welfare laws, it seemed indeed better to send the animal to a centre with a breeding programm like Carapax that hosts more than 30 of these animals and that is involved in a reintroduction programm in South America.

We thank BRUSSELS AIRLINES for allowing free transport in cabin.

 animali nella serra sudamericana

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 WINTER STORM DESTROYS STORK AVIARY

2 Days of heavy storm weather destroyed the upper part of our stork aviary. The aviary was built in 1996 with the contribution of the Tuscan Region and the hunting office of the Province of Grosseto. It was the basis of the succesfully introduction of the white stork in Central Italy. More than 150 baby storks hatched here.
We repaired only the nursery part of the aviary with the help of private donations and we decided to take away the remaining parts of the main net, leaving our breeding colony in complete freedom. After more than 10 years of imprinting on this location they became stationary colony. Only the youngsters migrate. Our choise prooved to be successfull. 

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  VISITS AT CARAPAX: NEW PROJECT IN AFRICA

Prof. Holger Schroeder, one of the first volunteers of the Carapax Centre in 1989, and member of the RANA Group since 1985 has proposed us to realise a new project for the conservation of biodiversity, agriculture and sheappart traditions in the horn of Africa.

The flagship species will be the giant tortoise, ore better said: 2 giant species: the spurred tortoise (Geochelone sulcata) and the leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) allready protected by the Coptic chirch and its monasteries of Abis Abeba, in Ethiopia. The first species is extinct, the second at the brink of extinction. Both species are being bread in Carapax since 1994.

We will focus on this moment on 2 countries of the horn of Africa: Ethiopia and Djibuti.

Our serious experiences offer garantee for the success of the project: the welldoing of the SOS SULCATA project of SOPTOM and FDR in Senegal, where Carapax collaborates, and on the other hand the direct collaboration we have with authorities and local NGO’s.
As a sign of friendship and mutual collaboration Prof. Legese of the university of Adis Abeba has offered Carapax in occasion of the Ethiopian millenium (september 2007) and African olive tree (Olea europea ssp. Cuspidath), that we planted near the sulcata tortoise enclosure (out of the reach of these “plant destructars”!).

                                              VISIT AT CARAPAX:

In August we had the pleasure to receive Prof. Em. Dr. A. Coomans of the State university of Ghent (Belgiam) and his wife W. Coomans.

Prof. Coomans is the successor of the famous Prof. Dr. Van Straelen with whom the whole project of conservation and research of the giant tortoise of the Galapagos Islands (Equador) was started. Prof. Coomans is a famous expert at world UNEP level and he is involved in the management of the large natural parks in Afrca, he is member of many international commissions, among those, the CITES ecc. Prof. Coomans has examined with attention the structures and the reproduction strategies of the terrestrial and fresh water chelonia at Carapax and he congratulated us with the level which has been reached, and which is equal, if not better, than what has been reached on the Galapagos Islands. Together we examinated also the various externel problems thas ostacolate the Carapax Centre and to which a solution at international level will be given.

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 2007: A BALANCE 

The season 2007 has been very difficult: conserning the animals, conserning the global management and several unsolved problems.

Conserning the animals their is no decrease in the intake of american terrapins, especially the redeared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) even if the import stop was established 10 years ago. There is also an increase of Graptemys sp., even species that were considered as rare like Graptemys versa. For the mediteranean species the average intake remained unchanged. 

Conserning exotic species we see an increase of Asian species (e.g. Mauremys (ocadia) sinensis) and African species ( the family of the Pelomedusidae, and in particular Pelusios subniger and P. Niger). Singular are the inevitable arrivals of rare exotics, e.g. a Mata mata ( Chelus fimbriatus), coming in good health from Florence where it had lived for 10 years in cold water, eating sea fish (dangerous food for exess of salt).

2 Donkeys were born

A record of 40 White Storks hatched!

Moreover the storks have beaten all precedent records, as well in heatchin success and in survival rate (only 3 young diseased), as well in free nesting far away from Carapax: 3 young hatched at Fucecchio (Florence), 4 in Sardinia, an unpreciesed number in Reggio Emilia and 6 in the industrial area of Scarlino, bringing the total at almost 60 young for 2007. Now we are looking for areas where to install new nests in order to attract new pairs of storks as well in the neighbourhoud of Carapax as well as in Valpiana, where the foreseen reintroduction of a new colony didn’t succeed. We will try again the coming years according to the former agreement with the Province of Grosseto. 

More than 400 tortoises and other reptiles heached!

This is an increase of 10% compaired to 2006. It seems a good result but according to our expert it isn’t, considering also the enormous effort last spring to increase the results. First of all a study has been started with the KATHO Institute (Belgium) and tecnical interventions to improove natural reproduction in situ (rebuilding pagoda and preparing the ground for nesting) while for assistance with artificial incubation 4 incubators have been made operative ( only 2 in 2006). Several technical interventions to reduce the risk of predation have been done (by marters and other Mustelidae). We think the climate change has also influenced the result. Rainfall on the wrong moment halfway the incubation period has surely drawn many testudo embryo’s, while rainshortage at the end of summer prevented Emys orbicularis of emerging, obliging them to remain in the nest till next spring.

Conserning the hatching of exotics it was very nice to see the birth of small water dragons (Physignatus lesseuri), the more than 20 read footed AMAZONE tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria), 1 had a “prolounged” incubation of 6 months, and the star tortoises (Geochelone elegans), that are being studied in the framework of the biodiversity program. Especially for the American and African tortoises we have a particular interest because Carapax collaborates with biodiversity projects and professional formation in these countinents.
Conserning the reintroduction in nature this year has been poor with only 80 animals released. This is due to the fact that we don’t find protected areas that are well managed and were at least the numbers of wild boar (Sus scofra). In the 17 studied areas of Tuscany one notices a strong decrease of youngsters till their complete disapearance. Even the beautiful Parco della Maremma has an extreme low density of adult tortoises. The hatchlings of Testudo as wel as Emys disapeared completely. The best area till 3 years ago, had a decline in the order of 60% (studies of Prof. R. Willemsen), and in 2007 they COMPLETELY DISAPEARED! Several appeals to the Regional Environmental Minister of Tuscany have not been heared and Carapax will try again with his successor. For the future Carapax will try with other environmental societies to lounch a compaign in favour of the Italian/mediteranean tortoise! Follow the news!

The mortality is under 3%, which is a good result. Analises done by experts on tortoises chosen by chance allowed us to improve their condition where necesary with food and other interventions.

The number of visitors was equal to the former year despite of the touristic decrease in the area. The number of groups, schools and societies increased and our family ticket was still a big success. We got also more than 300 new sustaining members. Anyhow we will try to do better in 2008.

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 … RECORD INCUBATION!!!  

A red footed Amazone tortoise (Chelonoides carbonaria), a species which we breed since several years is born. Nothing special you will say? But the interesting fact is that this tiny tortoise postponed ist birth for 6 months, an event never seen in this species before. Despite its late birth the animal is in optimal condintion. In the same container where born earlier 2 hatchlings after an incubation of only 3 months. In biology this phenomenon is called bimodality of incubation which is a strategy of nature to let the babies hatch in the most suitable rainy period of the year when food is abondant.

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                                                     15.9.2007
              international Conference at CARAPAX: positive results

The meeting organised at the CARAPAX centre during the open door day has been an opportunity to clarify the practical European applications concerning exotic wildlife. The participants have realised how difficult things are in general, and in particular the specific case of the CARAPAX Centre.

Among the invitees were present several Italian and European wildlife rescue centres – not only concerning reptiles or tortoises (from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the UK), as well as some professionals the have frequent contacts with the CITES authorities (Washington Convention on Trade of Endangered Species). Present was also a member of the CITES Commission in Rome, a representative of the Union of Italian Zoologists, who explained to the audience how inefficient, slow and burocratic is this CITES commission. An official of the Corpo Forestale among some of his colleagues explained how many laws there exist, which contrast many times each other making the job of the Corpo Forestale quite difficult. A Swiss representative told how globalised everything is nowadays, including wildlife trade and which are the threaths for endemic wildlife deriving from this trade. He explained how well organised is the rescue of exotic wildlife in Switserland and he didn’t understand why in Italy everything is so complicated and the recent attitudes of the CFS and others to CARAPAX seems incomprihensible and unfair. At this point it was interisting to hera the represenative of the Belgian CITES Wildlife Rescue Centre of Opglabbeek telling the audience receive CITES documents within 24 hours. It is an example of good collaboration with the competent authorities, there where in Italy everything is laborious and top receive CITES documents it takes weeks or even years...
The Italaian rescue centre ARF of Rome testifies how they too have to struggle against a hallucinant burocracy compromising often entire rescue operations for this motive.

Among the present was also the Belgian Embassy, as the International RANA Foundation, who does the scientific management of the CARAPAX project is Belgian with headquarters in Brussels.The Embassy wanted to be more informed aboat the local situation and was indeed surprised to hear that 2 years after the visit in Massa Marittima of the Belgian Environment Minister Mr. Bruno Tobback, and after several appeals to the former Italian Environment Minister Alfonso Pecoraro-Scanio, the problems concerning the property of the land where CARAPAX is build as well as the official pan-European collaboration aren’t still solved for the CARAPAX Centre.

RANA’s Chairman Ir. Rammeloo, citing a passage of the letter of the EU Commission on this case (remember that CARAPAX is a succesfull EU MEDSPA-project) in which surprise was expressed about this still unsolved situation, despite the EU’s former 2005 request for clarification at the Italian Government.
The Chairman explained how the problems that bother CARAPAX were present from the beginning. For instance RANA paid a rent – even if it was a symbolic rent - for the first 8 years for unusable ruins, a mountain of stones, despite the fact that the Tuscan Region had formally garanteed “suitable buildings”. He compaired CARAPAX’ start in 1989 with the much better start of the SOS SULCATA project in Senegal, while certain people dare to speak about the “third world”?
From the beginning there were local obstacles agains CARAPAX, the comunal plans to permit the building of the rescue facilities was established in 2007, with 18 YEARS of delay, the local intercomunal even tried several times to take back the land and the whole project. It seems unbelievable and everybody asks why?

CARAPAX has aved some 37.000 Chelonia, (tortoises, terrapins, sea turtles) in these 18 years, it hosted and educated some 1500 volunteers from 34 nationalities. Moreover CARAPAX became the first touristic attraction of Massa Marittima and surroundings with more than 20.000 annual visitors. CARAPAX has formed dozens of scientists and has repetriated more than 15.000 chelonians in the whole Mediterranean and African area.

From the side of the present experts and in particular as said by the present official of the Corpo Forestale the CARAPAX Centre is IRREPLACEBLE in Italy (think just about the more than 4000 tortoise brought to CARAPAX by the Corpo Forestale). The attempts of inimaginable further ostacolation or even more inimaginable hypothetic closure of the centre would be a blame for the Corpo Forestale, especially now that the EU Commission invites with (officially published on June 16th) recommandation to all Member States to collaborate better in the CITES framework and to use rescue centres of other Member States if there isn’t one in once’s own country. Therefore the Tuscan Region (even if it isn’t competent for CITES) and its regional Corpo Forestale would better intervene to stop all sabotage towards CARAPAX and help instead for a better and more coordinated work, what RANA has asked for years.

All concerned parties – the EU Commission included by letter – hope that a positive solution at regional level will prevale, and that possible conflicts will be solved quickly. At national level the EU intervention is hoped to solve the problemacy of CITES recognition and funding of the excellent work done at CARAPAX. Moreover a proposal is made for the creation of new CITES rescue facilities which need solid and urgent investments. 

  BEFORE(2005)                           AFTER(2007)

At CARAPAX the smallest tortoise of the world is bred 17.7.2007    It is the Testudo kleimanni, or Egyptian dwarf tortoise to be the smallest of the world: the males don’t even reach 10 cm. Among the Mediterranean Chelonians it is a top priority as it is highly endangered with less tahn 2500 specimens left in the wild in Lybia and the Negev desert of Israel. In Egypt it is extinct however. The species is also active during the Mediterranean winter. It eats mainly flowers that flower rarely in the desert and only after rain. Its habitat is being imitated in 2 greenhouses at CARAPAX (1 is visible for our visitors) and during winter they live inside in a desert terrarium of the biodiversitu room.     THE CORPO FORESTALE HAS A SHORT MEMORY AND PUTS UNDER SEQUESTER THE TERRAPINS THAT THEY HAD BROUGHT THEMSELVES EARLIER TO CARAPAX 05.07.2007     As answer to the contested presence of several animals at the Carapax Centre follows a declaration of the RANA INT. Foundation being the legal owner of these animals. 1. The presence of the animals which are contestaded by the Corpo Forestale is confirmed by RANA. These animals have goined Carapax from 1989 on and all of them are regularely registrated at the offices of the forestale themselves and since 1998 also at the prefecture. 2. The procedure at the Italian Ministry of Environment to receive the official CITES recognition, as well as the procedure at the prefecture for the approval of the detention of animals being considered as dangerous according to Italian law has been followed since 10 years. The same corpo forestale, the sanitary authorithies and the prefecture as well as the ministery have asked us the plans, descriptions, pictures ecc of the holding facilities. All these bodies have controlled them on spot with positive approval in 2001. Everybody thought that everything was ok, but the corpo forestale now contests the absence of “formal” permit. A juridical analysis put in evidence that the International RANA Foundation, being an international scientific recognised association in Belgium, it doesn’t need further permits in Italy. The request for such permits by the director of Carapax therefore have to be considered as an access of duty. 3. At the times of the publication of the competent Italian laws of 1992-1993 applicating in this country the EU CITES reglementation and during the period that Carapax requested 5 times the permits at the prefecture already 35 Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) where already present at Carapax. Some have died the following years, others where placed in other centres. The corpo forestale knows about all this because they are in detail informed by registrated letter every month. Also the prefecture has been sollisitated several times to finish its procedure with a final decrete. 4. But the most incredebal thing is that the corpo forestale contested the presence of 9 snapping turtles of which 4 have been brought by themselves and 3 others came indirectly from them (among which 2 from the acquarium of Napoli and 1 of the presidential reserve of San Rossore). The whole operation of the corpo forestale is therefore absurd. 5. The Carapax Centre informs that this whole story is not limited to 9 snappers and some other reptiles but confirms that in these years some 3000 tortoises have been sent to Carapax by the corpo forestale of half Italy, without any help for Carapax, nor logistically, neighter financially. And saying that the same law speeks very clear: the corpo forestale has the legal obbligation and the budget to sustain the costs of quarantaine, marking according to international standarts, maintaining and possibily repatriating all confiscated animals. (IT law 150/1992 art. 8 quinquies). At least 8000 is the number of chelonians repatriated and reintroduced in the nature of origin, in Italy, especially in Greece, in Tunesia, in Senegal, in Morocco, in Albania, in Spain. It happened for instance while loading hundreds of tortoises in Brindisi in the South of Italy on a Greec ship the corpo forestale added at our shipment and at our cost other hundreds of tortoises freshly confiscated from illegal entree in Italy. Hundreds are the tortoises received from the reserves of the Italian WWF, where the corpo forestale had abandoned them. In other words: for years the corpo forestale has recked upon conservation societies without helping them, considering Carapax, as well as other Centres as “trashbins” for animals. 6. Carapax as European project receives many chelonians from abroad, often abandoned, or confiscated by other CITES authorities. The most dramatic case was the colapse of a big rescue centre in Belgium, where with the intervention of the RANA Group and Virgin Express Airlines 400 chelonians and other reptiles where saved and sent to Carapax. Many were the volunteers to help in this full emergency. Now trace of the corpo forestale, exept for making us lose hours and hours at the customs office at the airport of Milano Linate. At the arrival at Carapax we had also the bad surprise of some Snapping turtles, Monitor lizards and a Caman. The corpo forestale could have done better in helping us to repatriate this species. 7. In 2005, Carapax was called to save 2 Sea turtles in the Northern Adriatic Sea. At our arrival in Venice only 1 animal was still alive, almost dying, suffering of severe necrosis. The small Sea turtle weighted 600 grammes and was quasi rotting away alive, even 1 eye was gangrenous. Now after 2 years of intensive care it weights 5 Kg and it is ok. Despite this its presence was confiscated by the corpo forestale that seems not to know anymore that Carapax is a project for the CONSERVATION OF ALL MEDITERRANEAN CHELONIANS (TORTOISES, TERRAPINS AND SEA TURTLES). Since time we had planned to send this animal that could never be released in the wild to the new SEA LIFE acquarium, or to the clinic for Sea turtles in Napoli. 8. Even if Carapax is a Rescue Centre for Meditteranean Chelonians, since 1998 there is an increasing intake of exotic species, 50% of which are American Red Eared Pond Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). They come from private people, as well as from public authorities including the same corpo forestale. The logistic and financial cost of this has becoming really unsuportable for Carapax and needs an urgent solution. Since 2 years RANA is looking together with the corpo forestale a new exotic centre in collaboration with the private sector. Since more than 2 months we are waiting for an appointment with at the corpo forestale CITES office at Rome to solve these questions. The corpo forestale instead has preferred to put under sequester the register of Carapax (apparently they had lost them) in order to study when and how to incriminate Carapax coming on June 29th with 8 agents to put under sequester 13 animals, more of half of them coming from the corpo forestale themselves, putting in embarassement volunteers and visitors as if Carapax would be a great black market of Snappers. 9. The Carapax Centre always has had excellent relations with the corpo forestale, but we cannot accept a similar mistake that apart of being redicolous, could have severe juridical consequenses. The Carapax Centre and its associated societies have allways acted honestly, helping everybody and allways in the interest of the animals. We propose therefore at a superial level at Rome in order to solve not only this question, but also the severe mistake of the corpo forestale, the problemacy of the massive imports of exotic wildlife that continues, and the European proposals to put an end on it. 10. Other CITES authorities and there political responsables in Europe, especially the Belgian Minister of Environment Bruno Tobback who visited the Carapax Centre as well as the proposed site fore the exotic Centre has interpelated his Italian colleage Pecoraro Scanio. The European Union has been informed about this and the organistions that have sent there turtes towards Carapax are moving in favour of Carapax. Europe cannot stay looking and do nothing when these anti European attitudes occur against a Centre that since almost 20 years is doing its best in taking care of 37000 turtles of 135 species in all these years without any Italian public help. .             19/07/2007   At 34°C in the shade the animals have been lifted from their pond, not with containers but with nets and taking by the tale, biting each other by panic. An Alligator Snapping turtle, living relaxed at Carapax for 16 years, has been molestated by the people of the corpo forestale. A Caiman got 2 fingers in its eyes by a “specialist” of the corpo forestale making the animal furious while taking out of the greenhouse where it lived. The corpo forestale tried to prevent the Carapax staff to take pictures of this scandalous molestation. It has taken hours and hours to capture these 13 animals showing what a great competent people we have in Italy. Why was this necessary? Why was the requesto of our vet not to move the animal neglected? Why this exagerated behavour? Why is the responsable of the corpo forestale in Florence, Mr. Franci Montorzi, who organised this unreachable? Idem for the Prefect? Why didn’t they produce the formal act authorising the detension of the detaned animals at Carapax since 1989 as requested formally from 1997 till 2006 so many times? Why after the inspection of 11.2.2000 by the corpo forestale, the sanitary authorities and the prefect with positive result we still have no consession after 10 years? Why is the corpo forestale moving 9 animals with 4 brought by themselves and 2 by the acquarium of Napoli where they have been brought by the same corpo forestale while Napoli has no, and doesn’t want a permit for the detention of dangerous animals, being specialised becaus specialised in Sea turtles? RANA has charged its lawyers to wake up the Prefecture to warn them for there severe shortcoming after this mistake of the corpo forestale. We have to solve the CITES aspect of Carapax which the Italian authorities, till now, failed to do.     AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS TAKE CARE OF AMERICAN TURTLES AT CARAPAX        Since 2006 the Carapax Centre also collaborates with American organisations for nature conservation. Jeoff and Lindsley, 2 volunteers coming from the organisation “Youth for Peace”, give another image of America, not the one of war or of hemegony of multinationals, but that of youth for peace. Let’s not forget that it was America that founded the first National Parks of the world: the Yellow Stone, Yosemite, Everglades....and there is also a particular attention and protection of the many species of turtles of America. The paradox of the American turtles is that while there comercialisation is limited or prohibited and not only for naturalistic reasons but also for sanitary reasons to avoid that turtles, vectors of salmonella, are sold to children, masses of them are being exported to Europe to be sold to our children. Now more than ever Carapax asked the Italian minister to stop this stupid trade. In fact beside doing harm to the health of small children the American terrapins grow fast, loose their bright colours and the people dump them in the European wild environment. Then there they start to damage our microfauna, fish, amphibians, waterfowl and even the last remaining European Pond turtles. Carapax tries to help people who cannot keep their turtle anymore and it are now American volunteers who care for them. Not bad? Will it be the first step for Carapax to bring these creatures bach home? Under the condition that our European Ministers close the gates preventing the American turtles to come back another time. The question is allready difficult and expensive enough for Carapax    CARAPAX INVITED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY     2 Days of conference at the university of Milton Keynes orginised by our British partner British Chelonia Group. The Carapax Centre and the Dutch Turtle Foundation have presented together 10 years of activities of repatriating Meditteranian tortoises and the rescue of many Red Eared Pond turtles sustained with 10 years of sponsoring by the airline VIRGIN EXPRESS. Aslo present were experts of IUCN and the Wassenaar Breeding Centre specialised in the reproduction of cheetah’s. Carapax has presented also the reception facilities of terrapins realised by the sponsoring of British Chelonia Group and to be inaugurated later this summer. Carapax work has been highly appreciated and the English partner will continue sustain it for the biennium 2008-2009. Finally the programm for conservation of the giant Seychelle tortoise has been presented.