JOSHUA TREE – (INT) – Rangers at the Joshua Tree National Park are out with a safety message in hopes of sparing the lives of desert tortoises.

Three of the critters have been run over and killed by vehicles the past week including two in a campground.

Sheer numbers of visitors to the park have greatly increased over the last two years causing more traffic. With the park in bloom; animals like the desert tortoise are out enjoying the bounty of food available in the desert.

In the wild, desert tortoises have varying estimates life-spans of 50-80 years. They are listed as a “threatened” species.

Park officials are pleading with visitors to drive with caution and be on the lookout for not only tortoises but any wildlife in the park.

Story Date: April 5, 2017