{"id":383,"date":"2015-06-23T10:59:10","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T10:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/wildlifeconservation\/?p=383"},"modified":"2015-12-21T14:28:23","modified_gmt":"2015-12-21T14:28:23","slug":"bonjour-de-la-tunisie-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.soton.ac.uk\/wildlifeconservation\/2015\/06\/23\/bonjour-de-la-tunisie-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Bonjour de la Tunisie! (Part Two)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kezia<\/h1>\n

The focus of my research project is to release a group of Tunisian Spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca nabeulensis<\/em>) back into their native range of Tunisia. Testudo graeca nabeulensis<\/em> is an endemic species, threatened by illegal collection for both the local and international pet trade and food markets. Following repatriation to Tunisia, all seized tortoises undergo a 6-month quarantine period before being released into Boukornine National Park. I will be investigating whether management variables of the release strategy have an impact on post-release dispersal patterns. The aim of my project is to determine the optimum protocol for successful repopulation of an area with Testudo graeca nabeulensis<\/em>, for the proposed strategy of repopulating other areas of Tunisia in the future.<\/p>\n

\"Wild<\/a>

Wild T. g. nabeulensis, Boukornine National Park<\/p><\/div>\n

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After an intense few weeks of project planning in the UK, my arrival in Tunisia at the end of March brought a mixture of both nerves and excitement. On my first day I visited the rehabilitation centre, \u2018Centre de Rehabilitation Tortue Tunisienne, Projet Fakroun\u2019 in Boukornine NP to meet my colleagues, a group of Tunisian veterinary students, the park conservator and the park guards. Although the language barrier was a challenge, everyone was very welcoming and this made me even more eager to start my data collection.<\/p>\n

Under the supervision of Marwell Wildlife\u2019s field biologist, Dr. Marie Petretto,\u00a0I began my\u00a0fieldwork by choosing suitable release sites within Boukornine NP, designing temporary enclosures for the soft-release, and selecting and preparing the rehabilitated tortoises for release. The next challenge was fitting these selected tortoises with radio transmitters using resin and silicon, and then keeping them still whilst they dried \u2013 surprisingly easier said than done! In addition to the tortoises equipped with transmitters, a number of tortoises marked individually were also selected for release in order to investigate the effect of group size on post-release dispersal.<\/p>\n

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