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The Price of Saving Desert Tortoises in Mojave National Preserve

The Mojave National Preserve, an expanse of 1.6 million acres in California’s desert landscape, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. While this milestone marks progress in Conservation, it also highlights a grim reality for one of the park’s most iconic residents: the desert tortoise. These reptiles, capable of living up to 80 years, have seen their numbers decline drastically over the past few decades despite efforts to reverse the trend.

The preserve’s wildlife biologist, Neal Darby, has witnessed this decline firsthand. “We came up with an estimate of about 10,000 tortoises,” he says, noting that populations were far healthier in the 1970s, with up to 250 tortoises per square mile. Today, however, the density is closer to three tortoises per square mile. Increasing human activity has contributed to this problem, with vehicle collisions being a major threat.

In response, the preserve has started an ambitious project to install metal fencing along busy roads to prevent tortoises from wandering onto the pavement. The cost, at $20 per foot, adds up quickly, but funding from the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has made this effort possible. So far, 10 miles of fencing have been erected, with more to come in early 2025. However, Darby acknowledges the challenge of changing driver behavior: “We installed signage, there’s educational outreach, increased law enforcement… but for the most part, that hasn’t panned out so well.”

The danger to tortoises extends beyond roadways. Human presence has also increased raven populations, as these scavengers thrive on trash and roadkill left by visitors. Ravens, in turn, pose a serious threat to young tortoises, whose shells are not yet hard enough to fend off predators. Other Conservation efforts in the preserve include raven management, removing wild burros, and supporting the Ivanpah Desert Tortoise Research Facility, where tortoises are raised to a safer age before being released.

Despite the hurdles, the desert tortoise remains a beloved symbol of the Mojave. “A lot of people love to see these animals,” says Darby.

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