Conservation

Gopher Tortoise Relocation Project

This project took place in Geneva, Florida. A 55 acre parcel of land was slated to become a housing development. There was a big problem however, this land was prime gopher tortoise habitat. The housing developer was approached and asked if he would delay the start of the project so that the gopher tortoises could be excavated and relocated. The developer was advised that there would be further delays since state permits needed to be acquired. At the time gopher tortoises were a threatened species and protected by law. The developer agreed to delay his project.

Gopher tortoises that are not excavated from their burrows are often entombed. Some are able to dig themselves out, but most die in the burrows that are their homes.

As I said before, this was prime gopher tortoise habitat but, we were unprepared for the number of burrows located on this relatively small parcel of land. There were 450 plus burrows located. We knew that not all the burrows were active but, each one would need to be excavated to ensure that no tortoises were left in their home.

Each burrow was flagged with a number and a diagram was drawn showing each location. We had 17 days to excavate the burrows and remove as many tortoises as possible. Some of these burrows are as deep as 25 feet with many turns that can make them equally as wide. To hand dig all these burrows in such a short span of time was impossible. A backhoe was brought in to do the majority of the digging.

Each day when we arrived a section was designated for excavation. An 8 foot pvc pipe was placed in the burrow to determine the direction of the burrow and the depth. If the burrow was shallow we would hand dig otherwise the backhoe would start digging. We continued to dig using the pvc pipe to follow the direction of the burrow. Again the depth of the burrow using the pvc pipe determined whether we used the backhoe or hand dug. This continued until we came to the end of the burrow. Once the tortoise was excavated it was sent back to camp where it was hydrated , after which it was put into a holding pen. Later the tortoises were placed in transport containers and transported just south of Jacksonville, Florida to another gopher tortoise excavation site. Every 2 -3 days the tortoises from both sites were transported to Nokuse Plantation, a wildlife preserve in Florida’s panhandle. This protected land can not be developed.

A total of 293 gopher tortoises were rescued from the Geneva, Florida site and now reside at Nokuse Plantation. None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of the housing developer, volunteers, HSUS and the State of Florida.

A sign was posted in the gopher tortoise holding area which appropriately read:

        Never Doubt That a Small Group Of Thoughtful, Committed
People Can Change The World.
Indeed, It Is The Only thing That Ever Has.
                                                    ~Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

Please enjoy the slideshow.