Third Segment was altogether different where we had an encounter with …..
They are Aldabra Giant Tortoise, one of the largest tortoises in the World, who can live for an average of 120 years on this planet and can grow upto 4 feet in length, with a weight of approx. 160 kgs. The best information written on the information board was that, the life of these tortoise can be upto 250 years. It was beyond my capabilities to spot the age of the tortoise present in the enclosure.
Unbelievable….survived 250 years on the planet earth in spite of numerous uninvited risks created by humans for other living creatures.
The enclosure was made in such a way that visitors can easily touch and feel the tortoise and can also feed them. Food was kept below a tree near to the enclosure for visitors to feed the tortoise and it was nothing but the green leaves of all sizes, grasses and plants, i.e pure vegetarian food. We gathered some food and started feeding them.
While feeding them , I was also observing their habits and I found this creature to be the laziest.
When I offered them food in the form of green leaves, most of them had no interest and only one tortoise opened his eyes, saw the food and again closed the eyes. When I offered them again, than also only one showed his interest and came forward. There was some distance between my hand and the mouth of tortoise and than there was the height of laziness, that he did not even took the pain to reach out to the food and as soon as I stretched my hand towards the mouth of tortoise and almost touched his mouth, than he opened his mouth and ate the entire green leaves. This habit was common for all the tortoises present there, as I had fed them all, one after another.
Only when food is offered at a comfortable distance, than only they were interested in eating. I think, this laziness is the reason for their long life span…..!!!!!!
I might be wrong on my above analysis because, i am comparing their behavior with human beings who will be judged as “lazy” for doing such thing.
One more interesting thing, which I noticed there, for which I had recorded video also. One of the tortoise was trying to come forward but another tortoise was blocking his way, so what he did, he climbed on the top of the tortoise and attempted to cross over him, instead of taking another long route, but his multiple attempts were not successful because of his heavy weight and slippery shell of the tortoise. The tortoise which was pressed below was not even making attempt to move right or left to give way to the another tortoise, but he was bearing the heavy weight of the another tortoise. Can there be better example of laziness!!!
But still I found the tortoise to be the cutest creature and my view was further strengthen after watching them underwater while scuba diving.