Visit oldest animals on the island
ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISES
The Aldabra giant tortoises of Ghanguu Island just off the coast of Zanzibar have become a major tourist attraction of the region.Ghanguu Island also known as Prison Island but never used as a prison is around 800 m (2,600 ft) long and 230 m (750 ft) wide at its broadest point. It is 5.6 km (3.5 mi) northwest of Stone Town and not more than 30 minutes per boat trip away from the mainland.
The island's tortoises originated from the island of Aldabra as a gift of four tortoises in 1919 from the then British governor of Seychelles. The tortoises bred quickly, and their numbers swelled to 200 by 1955 after which it dropped again as they were sold as pets or for food and by 1996 almost went extinct on the island. The Zanzibar government with the aid of the World Animal Protection society stepped in and brought some more hatchlings to the island which resulted in the numbers growing back to well over 100 tortoises. Changuu Island's Aldabra tortoises are the world's second-largest tortoise and are only surpassed by the Galapagos tortoise in size. They can weigh up to 250 kilos and grow to a length of 1.22 meters. Their food consists mainly of vegetation, and they sometimes topple small trees to grab some leaves. They breed easily and produce new litters every year between February and May. The baby tortoises are very vulnerable and must be kept in cages for months to protect them Many of the tortoises are more than a hundred years old with their ages written on their backs. Tourists are allowed to feed them and also scratch their backs which they love. Please enquire at our reception for more information on this day trip.