- Feb 5, 2002
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From the article:
Even while saving a species, ‘slow and steady’ can win the race.
The Española tortoise program on the Galapagos Islands has become one of the most successful captive breeding programs ever undertaken in the world. Created in the mid-1960s to save that species from extinction, it collected the last remaining 14 tortoises on Española island—the only place in the world they are found.
Now, they’ve all made the trip back home, 55 years later, to live out the rest of their days in retirement on their island’s restored ecosystem.
The 14 giant Española tortoises (plus one that had been at the San Diego zoo) produced 1,900 offspring over the decades which have slowly been reintroduced on the island—many of which have survived to adulthood and have since bred, creating a population of roughly 2,300 children and grandchildren of the original 15.
One giant tortoise dubbed “Diego” managed to contribute to approximately 40% of the offspring repatriated to the island before two weeks ago joining his brood where he was taken almost 80 years ago.
Continued below.
The 15 Giant Tortoises That Saved a Species–Breeding 1,900 Babies–Finally Returned to Their Galapagos Island Home
From the article:
Even while saving a species, ‘slow and steady’ can win the race.
The Española tortoise program on the Galapagos Islands has become one of the most successful captive breeding programs ever undertaken in the world. Created in the mid-1960s to save that species from extinction, it collected the last remaining 14 tortoises on Española island—the only place in the world they are found.
Now, they’ve all made the trip back home, 55 years later, to live out the rest of their days in retirement on their island’s restored ecosystem.
The 14 giant Española tortoises (plus one that had been at the San Diego zoo) produced 1,900 offspring over the decades which have slowly been reintroduced on the island—many of which have survived to adulthood and have since bred, creating a population of roughly 2,300 children and grandchildren of the original 15.
One giant tortoise dubbed “Diego” managed to contribute to approximately 40% of the offspring repatriated to the island before two weeks ago joining his brood where he was taken almost 80 years ago.
Continued below.
The 15 Giant Tortoises That Saved a Species–Breeding 1,900 Babies–Finally Returned to Their Galapagos Island Home
