Read more. Reuse this content. Environment Climate crisis Wildlife Energy Pollution. Whalers and sailors, even the occasional naturalist yes Charles Darwin loved to eat giant tortoises. After months at sea chewing on salty beef and rusks, the easy-to-catch reptiles and their delicious oily meat made them a target.
In the space of a few hundred years, the tortoise population in Galapagos collapsed from hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, to just a few thousand individuals and it caused their complete disappearance from several islands. For most of the 20 th century, it was assumed that Pinta was one of these. Then in , a snail biologist was working alone on Pinta when he saw a tortoise.
The following year, the Galapagos National Park captured the animal — who became known as Lonesome George — and moved him to a paddock on Santa Cruz. They hoped to find a mate for him, but none materialized and George lived for the next 40 years in captivity, celibate and stubbornly disinterested in having sex with females from other islands. His fame grew. To the surprise of the world, Lonesome George was found—very much alive—in by a snail biologist. Biologists hoped that George would sire offspring with a related species of tortoise, but while he lived for 13 years with two potential mates, all 13 eggs produced during that time were infertile.
On the morning of June 24, , Lonesome George was found dead in his corral by his caretaker. He died, scientists later determined, from natural causes. His death shocked those who cared for him due in part to his young age—giant tortoises from George's particular subspecies can live to be In , researchers defrosted Lonesome George from the deep freeze he'd been kept in since his death and unpacked him in a New Jersey studio, where taxidermists set about preserving the giant tortoise for posterity.
The taxidermists chose to position George in a stance that displayed his unique evolutionary adaptations: showing off his saddleback shell and outstretched long neck, which helped George and other Pinta Island tortoises feast on plants a bit higher than ground level.
They also chose to paint green marks on his neck to give the illusion that George had just eaten. And what better way to end a four year adventure: home safe and sound. Awesome job. The collaboration of such fine people is so nice to read.
Thank you all for showing what real humanity is. This has always been a very emotional time for me since the day Lonesome George passed away. I have always loved all turtles and have had quite a few myself for many years now. When I heard George passed away, I knew I had to do something to keep his memory alive for me.
I saw George in and knowing that I, in person, was seeing the last specimen of a species overwhelmed me. Knowing that the Pinta Island tortoise like so many countless species are now wiped from this earth makes me very sad.
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