Thirteen rare giant tortoises hatch thanks to artificial incubation trial

The slow-motion pitter patter of tiny giant tortoise feet has been worryingly rare in recent years, but that looks set to change thanks to the first successful hatching of the species using artificial incubation.

- Jonathan Watts

One week after the intervention, the 13 babies are now building up their strength on a diet of banana slices and leaves in the Seychelles, which is home to one of the last remaining populations of the tortoise.

As new members of one of the biggest and longest-lived reptile species in the world - the Aldabra giant tortoise - these miniature creatures could eventually reach a weight of 250kg and live more than 100 years.

The dozen hatchlings are the survivors from 18 eggs that were taken from a single nest on Cousin Island by local conservationists after scientists used a groundbreaking microscopic technique to analyse whether the shells contained at-risk embryos.