Jersey to welcome tortoise takeover trail in 2023

Durrell announced its new sculpture trail mascot would be a giant tortoise

Jersey Zoo is partnering with local artists to bring back an island-wide sculpture trail for 2023.

Durrell revealed its new sculpture trail would be a "tortoise takeover", succeeding its predecessor the "go wild gorillas" from 2019.

It hopes to bring attention to chelonians as they were now the "most threatened vertebrate group".

Durrell CEO Dr Lesley Dickie said the trail would represent the work it does with reptiles across the globe.

She said: "From the highly endangered ploughshare tortoise in Madagascar to the amazing Aldabra giant tortoises that we deploy on Round Island off the north coast of Mauritius to act as 'ecological engineers', Durrell has a long history of working with tortoises.

"Not only are these ancient creatures important actors in their ecosystems, but they also hold key cultural values across multiple countries."

Funds raised will go towards building a new tropical house at the Durrell wildlife conservation trust.

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