Hundreds of tortoises have died following severe floods at a sanctuary in southwestern Madagascar that houses and protects more than 12,000 of the critically endangered animals.
On Jan. 16, Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi swept through the Atsimo-Andrefana region, where the Lavavola Tortoise Center is located, dumping torrential rains that caused water levels to rise as high as 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) across an area of 10 hectares (25 acres).
A total of 784 radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and spider tortoises (Pyxis arachnoides) have since been found dead due to drowning. While most of the tortoises could float in the water and be rescued, others were trapped by rocks or washed away.
“It was less than 20 hours of rain, and the whole area was flooded,” Hery Razafimamonjiraibe, country director for Turtle Survival Alliance Madagascar, which runs the center, told Mongabay by phone. “It is unprecedented. We have never encountered this kind of flooding before.”
The heavy rains devastated the Lavavola Tortoise Center’s infrastructure, with the organization estimating damages and veterinary care costs at up to $150,000.
The region has struggled with drought conditions over the past year, with temperatures exceeding 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit), which left the dry, compacted soil less able to absorb heavy rains, thus exacerbating the impacts from the flood.
Almost all the surviving tortoises have now been moved to elevated enclosures by staff and volunteers with Turtle Survival Alliance Madagascar. But prolonged exposure to the wet, cold floodwaters increases the risk for pneumonia among the tortoises, Razafimamonjiraibe said.
Floodwaters in the region are receding gradually, but the main road to the Lavavola center is still inundated, complicating transport for people and materials. The homes of 15 staff members and their families were also flooded and sustained severe damage. No one was injured.
“Volunteers from the community are continuing to help feed the animals. Yesterday they brought more than 2 [metric] tons of food for the tortoises,” Razafimamonjiraibe added.
The radiated tortoise was once considered one of the most abundant tortoises on Earth, with a population of more than 12 million. But poaching and illegal trafficking has reduced its population by three-quarters, Jordan Gray, external relations manager at the Turtle Survival Alliance, told Mongabay by phone.
Before reaching southern Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi hit the Nampula region in northern Mozambique on Jan. 13, causing flash floods that claimed 11 lives and impacted approximately 249,000 people, the U.N. International Organization for Migration reported.
Banner image: Thousands of radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) were saved from floodwaters in southern Madagascar. Image courtesy of Turtle Survival Alliance.
Update: The confirmed tortoise deaths and estimated damages were updated on Jan. 24, 2025.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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