![]() ![]() Giant tortoises have an important role as “ ecosystem engineers” on islands, keeping control of plants that outgrow other plants and helping to distribute seeds of plants they eat. ![]() Since then, more than 2000 Española tortoises bred in captivity have been returned to the island. All of them were brought to the breeding centre, along with a few specimens returned from zoos. Now through January, those interested in laying eyes on. They likely reached the Galápalos from South Americasome 1,000 kilometers to the eastby rafting on currents. The Española Island species was reduced to just 15 members in the 1970s. Two years ago, the last known giant tortoise from Pinta Island in the Galpagos, Lonesome George, died at the age of about 100. Galápagos tortoises are the world’s largest living turtles. The Galapagos National Park Service has had great success with captive breeding of tortoises before. ![]() Another 63 are thought to have Floreana ancestry, but none appear to descend from Pinta.Ĭonservation biologists have begun a captive breeding programme with 23 tortoises now housed at the breeding centre, with the aim of returning tortoises to Floreana Island. Alternatively, the two may have had very recent purebred ancestry. Genetic tests suggested that two of the tortoises may be purebred Floreana tortoises – which might imply that the Floreana species is not actually extinct. They carried out blood tests on 144 individuals, then lifted 32 promising candidates onto a ship by helicopter and took them to a captive breeding centre on Santa Cruz Island. In 2015, scientists returned to Wolf volcano to look for more tortoises with Floreana and Pinta ancestry. 1835: Sailing on a New Scientist Discovery Tour Researchers are now planning an expedition in September to find Fernanda a male mate, in hopes that her species can be saved to avoid the same fate as Lonesome George, a Pinta Island Tortoise. ![]()
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