Distressing video shows 'vegetarian' Seychelles giant tortoise feasting on a bird; Watch

A very unique and uncommon incident has been documented in the animal kingdom. For the very first time ever, researchers have recorded a Seychelles giant tortoise following and feasting on a young bird. As the tortoise was previously thought to be a vegetarian, this video has flipped the expectations.

A video clip was uploaded by the Cambridge University on their official Twitter handle saying, “Researchers capture on film the unexpected moment when a giant tortoise – thought to be vegetarian – attacks and eats a tern chick, Warning: some viewers may find scenes in this film distressing.” 

More about the Vegetarian Tortoise video

A matured female tortoise pursuing a tern chick down a tree trunk was recorded on video in July 2020. It can be observed in the video that the little bird continued waving its wings to drive off the huge tortoise, eventually stopping at the wooden log's end. The tortoise approached the bird, opened its mouth, and clamped its jaws around the head of the small bird. At the end of the video, it could be seen that the tortoise kept eating while the decapitated bird's body fell down on the ground. 

Take a look at the video of a vegetarian tortoise turned carnivorous: 

This short video has over 3600 views and more than 70 likes and several comments. One of the users commented, “I know many vegetarians who momentarily turn to a carnivore diet — when no one is watching and they have nowhere to signal their virtue.” while another wrote, “This is amazing”. 

Research on Seychelles giant tortoise 

As per a research paper issued in the journal Current Biology, the consumption of a live bird by the Seychelles giant tortoise, which comes under Aldabrachelys gigantea species, was the first evidence of purposeful hunting in any tortoise breed. This giant tortoise was discovered on Fregate Island on July 30, 2020, a privately run island by the Seychelles group that is maintained for ecotourism.

According to the study, the unusual combination of a tern population living alongside an inhabiting population of giant tortoises has resulted in situations in which the tortoise has become accustomed to hunting birds. According to the study, the tortoise's pursuit and chomping of the bird's head indicated that it had past experience. 

The Aldabra giant tortoise or Seychelles giant tortoise is only found on the islands of Seychelles' Aldabra Atoll. This is one of the world's biggest tortoises. The exterior shell has a high, domed form and is brown in hue. To maintain its large bulk, it possesses stout, highly scaled legs. The giant tortoise also has an extremely long neck. 

(Image Credit: Twitter)