slow & steady in the Galapagos Islands
In June 2012, Lonesome George, the last remaining Pinta Island tortoise, died in his corral. The majestic giant tortoise had been rescued 41 years earlier and brought to a captive breeding program in his native Galápagos Islands, but he never bred. He’d become an icon of the Galápagos, and now he was gone, along with his species. Two other giant tortoise species were already extinct.
Washington Tapia is a reptile expert and the general director at the Galápagos Conservancy. He has worked with giant tortoises for more than 30 years. When he heard the news, he rushed to the breeding center with tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “It was like losing a good friend.”
Rugged Islanders and Keystone Species
The Galápagos, which are species found only in one place. Perhaps most famous are the giant tortoises. They are the heaviest cold-blooded land animals alive. The largest ones can grow to nearly six feet long (1.8 m) and weigh over 800 pounds (400 kg). Giant tortoises live 100 to 150 years, and they serve as a for the islands, playing a critical role in the survival of other plants and animals.
