Kamp Kenan

[TortoiseRacket]

Thank you for your replies!
I agree, his videos are very entertaining but I do not agree with some of his care. He recently did a video on what to do if you can’t take care of your tortoise. We should get him to join so he can tell people there is an adoptions page, and we could have a friendly debate.
-Mickey

 

[Tamihealey5163]

Wait wait wait wait wait...i disagree with all of the pre judging. I've read this for many years and have also watched his videos. First of all.....he always mentions that this is the care for his region. His REGION. And is insistent that the care for your area may be different. He is NOT instructing you on how to raise your tortoise but is exposing you to the needs of what works for him. For those who have NOT found these wonderful tortoise care sites we belong to...then the information on the care of his reptiles is a good strong starting point. His care is NOT unacceptable and it DOES work for him! I am not a sponsor of his....but i do take into consideration how negative everyone is being for someone who takes in rescues and does his best to help those with absolutely no information. WE ALL STARTED AT THE BEGINNING AT SOME POINT... yet with the few years experience under our belts we have so many who have become experts now. And have any of you lived in the Savannah of Africa and followed the Sulcatas around to log how much water is consumed? The burrowing for their humidity is keen on growth and survival.....but it is NOT as much as you all are claiming! There is not as much water and humidity as you think in their burrows. Certainly not as much as we give our little shell babies. And i FREAKING ADORE MY LITTLE GUY!!! And he's healthy as ever!! And until i get a response from somebody with a humidity reader also called a HYGROMETER for those who have no knowledge while in a Sulcatas burrow in Africa to show me that your Sulcatas care area is the exact match as the burrow in Africa....then perhaps...just PERHAPS the man may know some off the stuff he's talking about. Or at the LEAST he's helping those who have not found a better site yet for further information. Let me reiterate....HE IS HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE NOT FOUND AND DEVELOPED THEIR OWN INSTINCTS ON CARE OF THEIR BABIES! We rely on each other for help and advice....kindness when we may be doing wrong....advice on what works for us in our personal experience..but not to put others down because what does not work for you in your area does not necessarily mean it doesn't work for someone in a different area. He is not killing tortoises. There was an instance where a torty died due to a territorial conflict. DON'T BLAME THE MAN. THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE SULCATA WHICH IS WHY EVERY SITE YOU'RE ON SUGGESTS YOU DONT KEEP MORE THAN ONE MALE BECAUSE OF THIS CHANCE. I think he does a great job for saving, housing, and educating the best that he can for the preservation of these beautiful reptiles. And my hat is off to ALL THE SANCTUARIES out there saving our little shell babies. They are not a puppy mill trying to breed the heck out of them....but i certainly don't blame them for selling any offspring from the tortoises saved to help support the care of these beauties. How much money have you donated to the care of these sanctuaries? It has to come from somewhere and they're living high on the hog these blessed caregivers. Ask any of them. Thank you for letting me play devils advocate. I expect a lot of retort from this post as I'm the only one standing up..... but in the number of years you've owned a tortoise how much help...CORRECT SCIENCE PROVEN HELP... have you given?

 

[Yvonne G]

Maybe you haven't seen Tom's experiment threads. He took his own clutches of sulcata babies and experimented with raising them until he found a system (closed chambers-hot/humid) that works, growing smooth, healthy sulcata and leopard babies. The experiments are here on the Forum for all to see. The members here have a whole lot of experience, and we have quite a few well-known names in the chelonian world as members here.

Also, Tom is friends with Tomas Diagne (spelling?) who has a sanctuary/research center in Africa, where the sulcatas live. We get a lot of our first hand sulcata knowledge from Tomas.

 

[Erinelle]

I like him! I’ve gotten some good advice from him. His videos are mainly for entertainment factor but I’m not sure that makes him an unreliable source of information.
I also don’t think he lets his sulcata tortoises fight to the death. I’m pretty sure that’s a rumor!

To each their own!

He’s saved quite a few endangered turtles and rescued other reptiles as well since he’s got the room & the knowledge. He’s also well-respected by the state of FL wildlife conservation commission! They often contact him for rehoming animals that have been seized or rehabbed, etc. so I can’t imagine he’s just looking to fool people!

Just my opinion...

(Edited to add)
Also something to consider....
It’s not possible to please everyone.
No human being can do that; as a person who video documents his experiences, he also has to deal with the negatives....people....differing opinions.
That can’t be easy! I enjoy his videos and I’m glad he makes them despite differing views. You can’t be liked by ALL and it doesn’t make a person wrong to have different experiences and opinions.

(My NY resolution is to be a kinder and to see more of both sides!)

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think anyone thinks he's looking to fool people. My problem with him is he's touting old, outdated husbandry practices, among other things.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

I like him! I’ve gotten some good advice from him. His videos are mainly for entertainment factor but I’m not sure that makes him an unreliable source of information.
I also don’t think he lets his sulcata tortoises fight to the death. I’m pretty sure that’s a rumor!

To each their own!

He’s saved quite a few endangered turtles and rescued other reptiles as well since he’s got the room. He’s also well-respected by the state of FL wildlife conservation commission! They often contact him for rehoming animals that have been seized or rehabbed, etc. so I can’t imagine he’s just looking to fool people!

Just my opinion...

Yes he did. Even said so himself. If he knows they are going to fight, why put the males together. That’s my point. He could have separated the males but he doesn’t. He lets them fight . Said so on his own video!
I am not doubting he has saved some animals. I am not saying all his ways are wrong. But, he follows old outdated ways. There are much better ways today.

 

[Erinelle]

That’s a legit concern, Yvonne!
It’s hard enough to get the right information out there so it doesn’t help to continuously have it echoed!

I walked into a pet shop yesterday and saw a Russian tort in bad shape and just about lost my sh#% on the store owner....there was fruit in his bowl, newspaper underneath him, improper lighting, no temp/humidity gauge and they said he was lethargic! Hmmm....?
They defended saying he was a surrender, sitting right next to a turtle who appeared to be a yellow bellied slider but was hard to tell with awful shell peeling!
HUGE case of people taking in pet and/or selling/reselling with awful information on care!

(I didn’t lose my sh%# bc it was after NY and I didn’t want to fail at my resolution before it had even begun!)

 

[Kristy1970]

~ I really like most of his videos, however do not agree with some of the advice, direction, etc..

~ I think the point to consider is that his channel is financially driven, he does earn from his views. I really like his obvious passion and simple articulation of things, he is for sure entertaining.

Agreed

 

[TortoiseRacket]

I like him! I’ve gotten some good advice from him. His videos are mainly for entertainment factor but I’m not sure that makes him an unreliable source of information.
I also don’t think he lets his sulcata tortoises fight to the death. I’m pretty sure that’s a rumor!

To each their own!

He’s saved quite a few endangered turtles and rescued other reptiles as well since he’s got the room & the knowledge. He’s also well-respected by the state of FL wildlife conservation commission! They often contact him for rehoming animals that have been seized or rehabbed, etc. so I can’t imagine he’s just looking to fool people!

Just my opinion...

(Edited to add)
Also something to consider....
It’s not possible to please everyone.
No human being can do that; as a person who video documents his experiences, he also has to deal with the negatives....people....differing opinions.
That can’t be easy! I enjoy his videos and I’m glad he makes them despite differing views. You can’t be liked by ALL and it doesn’t make a person wrong to have different experiences and opinions.

(My NY resolution is to be a kinder and to see more of both sides!)

Im totally open to any issues he may have with our care or different sides of the debate. I’m not trying to hate on him I just want to talk to him and try to bettter some of his care so he can spread that out to other people. I’m sure none of us are trying to be mean to him. We are a community, and communities help each other. Most of his care is great but just like everything, there is new information. We would all just like to get in touch with him and talk about what he finds works.

Best,

Mickey

 

[Cheryl Hills]

I guess, he was a member here a while back, for maybe one day.

 

[Sadiegirl]

N

Not true,his whole being is about tortoises,all animals,

 

[Cheryl Hills]

You can believe what you want. I know what kind of care my animals get, and it works well, proven over and over

 

[charlygal123]

~ I really like most of his videos, however do not agree with some of the advice, direction, etc..

~ I think the point to consider is that his channel is financially driven, he does earn from his views. I really like his obvious passion and simple articulation of things, he is for sure entertaining.

I agree! I watch it for entertainment and it’s nice to actually see some kind of program that has tortoises in at all! So I don’t judge him on his skills I just enjoy watching the different species on there and all the fine breeds of tortoises that are out there!

 

[queen koopa]

I also found his videos first when I took in a rescue Sulcata. Found the forum a couple weeks later and I constantly compared information. Do not watch him for care instructions anymore, I just like him and his property. I DID though learn from him (when I first started) that Sulcatas like water and its a common miss conception that they don’t because people had been considering them desert tortoises. In his video I saw my first tortoise drinking! I like his outdoor water feature ideas, especially for the large enclosures. I remodeled and dug up my lil rock pond/watering hole for koop 3 times til I got it right. And she loves it during the summer, she’s a wonderful self soaker .

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I think I seen a post where he signed up here before but didn't stick around long?

 

[charlygal123]

I think I seen a post where he signed up here before but didn't stick around long?

That’s actually a real shame! Perhaps he could have learnt like we have!

 

[porter]

I personally enjoy his videos, I used to follow him when he rode Bmx and only recently discovered his channel. He seems to do a pretty decent job of caring for his animals and they all seem pretty happy. He must be doing something right

 

[Quixx66]

I’m a new member still waiting for my tort to be born.

I enjoy Kenan’s channel.

Could you tell me some specifics he gets wrong do I won’t replicate his mistakes?
Thanks.

 

[DanB]

All this he said she said fighting is childish, Never just take one persons ideas as LAW. We all know from looking around at people that you can be raised badly and still breed. Just because what you do has worked does not make it right. If you want to truly know whats right then you have to study them in the wild on your own or research others who have, and I'm not talking hobbyist but reptile experts. Take everything you read with a grain of salt and bump it against everything else you read. There is nothing wrong with going against the mainstream, must make sure you have something to back it up with.

Just my two cents worth, take it or leave it, no skin on my back.

 

[queen koopa]

All this he said she said fighting is childish, Never just take one persons ideas as LAW. We all know from looking around at people that you can be raised badly and still breed. Just because what you do has worked does not make it right. If you want to truly know whats right then you have to study them in the wild on your own or research others who have, and I'm not talking hobbyist but reptile experts. Take everything you read with a grain of salt and bump it against everything else you read. There is nothing wrong with going against the mainstream, must make sure you have something to back it up with.

Just my two cents worth, take it or leave it, no skin on my back.

Exactly. Constantly comparing multiple sources.