The problem for Jenny, as revealed by our field cameras paired to the decoys, is not the friends that have appeared to inspect her but the enemies! Hatchling Geometric Tortoises are only about 1 inch in length and have a soft shell. Every resident predator from rats and mice on up to foxes, mongooses and crows are happy to make a meal of them. Even at 2-3 years of age (if they somehow survive that long) juvenile Geometric shells are only 2-3 inches in length and remain easy pray for larger predators. Because our reserve is one of the last small “islands” (800 acres) of natural tortoise habitat surrounded by highways, vineyards, and industrial activity, the tortoises are confined but the predators can come and go (especially crows). To be sure these are natural predators that have always been around, but are now present in much higher numbers because of associated human activities that “subsidize” them (more surface water and food), but not the tortoises.