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Headline: RAW VIDEO: Tiny Tortoise Shell-eberates 2nd Birthday

Caption: A tiny tortoise has celebrated his second birthday in style. The Australian Reptile Park's beloved Indian Star tortoise, known affectionately as 'Tiny Tim,' marked his second birthday with a colourful, yet oversized, three-tier cake crafted just for him, which amusingly towered over the petite tortoise. The unique birthday cake, meticulously prepared by Reptile Keeper Imogen Hall, blended watermelon, hibiscus flowers, and blueberries into a tempting treat. Tiny Tim, upon spotting his cake, eagerly albeit very slowly, made his way to it, ultimately taking as large a bite as possible. The mixture of fruits, particularly treasured by Tiny Tim, is offered as a special treat annually, eagerly anticipated by the tiny tortoise. “When I gifted Tiny Tim his miniature cake, I could see the excitement in his eyes. Watermelon, blueberries, and of course, hibiscus flowers are his favourite so it was the perfect choice to celebrate his special day, and it’s safe to say that he absolutely loved his cake,” Keeper Imogen expressed. Since his arrival at the park in 2022, Tiny Tim has not only won over the hearts of global fans but also that of the park's zookeepers, skyrocketing to internet fame with a viral video of him tackling a strawberry larger than himself. The Indian Star tortoise, classified as 'Vulnerable' by the IUCN Red List, faces threats in the wild, primarily in India and Sri Lanka, due to its diminutive size making it a target for the illegal pet trade. The species' plight was acknowledged in 2019 when CITES enacted a prohibition on its illegal trade, aiming to protect it from further exploitation. “As cute as he is, it’s important to highlight the horrors of the global illegal reptile trade, of which this species is a very unfortunate victim of. At the Australian Reptile Park, we support responsible reptile pet ownership and implore prospective pet owners to get their reptile licence and only purchase native reptile species that make good pets,” Hall concluded.

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,animal, cute, Tiny Tim, turtle, tortoise, small, miniature, birthday, 2nd birthday

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