How 3D Printing Could Save Baby Tortoises

OCTOBER 2, 2017. JIM JUVIK

PROGRAM UPDATES, NEWS & PRESS.

Cape Town, South Africa – Turtle Conservancy Senior Scientist Dr. Jim Juvik took the first steps in a cutting-edge program to deter predators on our Fynbos Preserve this month by deploying a battalion of 3D-printed baby tortoise shells.

So far, motion-sensing cameras have captured predators including pied crows, foxes, mongoose, duikers, and even honeybadgers as they attempted to prey upon the mock tortoises.

We are now planning experiments to reprogram the predators to avoid baby tortoises as a result of their experiences with bad-tasting decoys.

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