News that hundreds of threatened desert tortoises face euthanasia with the pending closure of a refuge near Las Vegas has generated a storm of reaction that has government officials scrambling to find alternatives and fielding offers from people wishing to adopt the reptiles or make donations. The Associated Press reported this week that the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center, which has sheltered thousands of displaced tortoises for 23 years, is scheduled to close in 2014 as funding runs out. Early reports indicated the DTCC would be euthanizing about 50 percent of its 1,400 tortoises because they were sick. The story created an international public outcry; a spokeswoman for Fish and Wildlife said Thursday that while the 50 percent estimate of sick tortoises may be correct, not all of them will be killed, saying that some could go to research facilities. The Fish and Wildlife Service has received calls from hundreds of people who want to adopt the tortoises, but most can’t legally adopt them, as federal law bans their transportation across state lines. The center typically takes in about 1,000 tortoises a year, but will stop accepting new residents in the coming months.
