Earth Today | ‘Celeste’ is home!

SCIENTISTS FROM the Institute of Jamaica’s (IOJ) Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ) and The University of the West Indies, Mona returned to Jamaica last week with a repatriated Jamaican Giant Galliwasp from Scotland, some 170 years after the reptile was taken from the island.

The joint team, which travelled to Scotland on a six-day visit to retrieve the approximately 16-inch-long specimen from their counterparts at the University of Glasgow, had an official handover on Monday at the university’s Hunterian Museum where the Giant Galliwasp, or ‘Celeste’, as it is being affectionately called by the repatriation team, had been housed.

The nickname Celeste originates from the genus Celestus, and the specimen is thought to be female.

This repatriation represents a significant moment for Jamaica, as it is likely the first successful natural history repatriation in the English-speaking Caribbean. It is also expected to become a tool of engagement for Jamaican biology students and others interested in the life sciences.

NHMJ/IOJ zoology curator Elizabeth Morrison, one of five Jamaican scientists who retrieved the reptile, describes the repatriation as groundbreaking.

“The repatriation of the Jamaican Giant Galliwasp is groundbreaking for Jamaica, and takes on even greater significance for us at the Institute of Jamaica as we celebrate our 145th anniversary. It strengthens our resolve to preserve all aspects of our natural heritage and educate our people through literature, science and art. This is an exciting time for Jamaican culture. Children and adults alike will be fascinated by Celeste,” she said.

The Jamaican Giant Galliwasp became extinct in the mid-1800s due to the clearing of lands for sugar cane production and the introduction of the invasive predator mongoose. Their habitats were mostly wetlands, said to be in St Elizabeth and Clarendon.

The repatriation team included Morrison and Dionne Newell, a senior research officer in entomology, also of NHMJ/IOJ; UWI Museum curator Dr Shani Roper; Dr Tannice Hall of the Department of Life Sciences; and graduate student Desireina DesLandes.

The Jamaican Giant Galliwasp will be added to the National Zoological Collections at the Natural History Museum of Jamaica, IOJ. An official launch for its installation will be held at the museum on May 24.

NHMJ opens to the public for tours Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and every last Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.