VICTORIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the Giant Tortoise Enclosure at the Seychelles National Botanical Garden along with Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Herminie during his State visit to the island nation.
During the visit, the two leaders observed the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, a species native to Seychelles and regarded as one of the largest and longest-living tortoises in the world. Some of these tortoises are believed to be more than 200 years old.
Highlighting the cultural and diplomatic significance of the species, Modi noted that the Aldabra Giant Tortoise symbolises the enduring friendship between India and Seychelles. In 2014, Seychelles gifted two Aldabra Giant Tortoises to the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, followed by the gifting of several more tortoises to the Hyderabad Zoo a few years later.
The visit formed part of the Prime Minister’s ongoing three-day State visit to Seychelles, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation between the two countries.
