Renowned for their biodiversity, the Galapagos Islands are home to a vast array of flora and fauna. One icon amongst them is the famous Galapagos Giant Tortoise. However, few may know that each island had its own unique sub species of the creature. The island of Pinta was thought to have wiped out its resident tortoises until one lone survivor was found. Named ‘Lonesome George’, the tortoise became emblematic of the Galapagos Islands’ conservation efforts as well as its sad past.
Lonesome George was a Pinta Giant Tortoise
The unique shape of the Pinta Island tortoise was an example of the Genetic variety of the species, adapted to forage on the vegetation of the island. Pinta Island is the northernmost island of the group and features an active volcano. Galapagos (meaning ‘saddle’ in Spanish) evokes the tortoises’ shape as well as the challenging, volcanic habitat. Pinta Island was once covered in lush vegetation. The introduction of goats, as well as poaching, sadly drove the Pinta Giant Tortoises to extinction…except for George. At the time of his death, Lonesome George was known as the rarest creature in the world. Though tortoises are not adventurous hunters, their distinct neck length, shell curves, and leg span were essential adaptations for foraging, as famously recorded in ‘The Origin of the Species’.
Lonesome George was the Last of His Species
Lonesome George survived over 70 years as the sole tortoise inhabitant of Pinta Island. His shell bears witness to his time on the volcanic island. A Giant Tortoise shell is as revealing as the caves of Lascaux or the rings of a great oak; some of the tortoises wear catastrophic slashes and burns from a volcanic eruption over 80 years ago. This is just one clue scientists used to arrive at an estimated age for Lonesome George when he was found in 1971. So surprising was the discovery of this lone survivor; he was immediately moved to the Charles Darwin Research Centre in Santa Cruz to be closely cared for.
Other Pinta Tortoises were Hunted to Extinction
Lonesome George may have been treated as a remarkable creature, but his ancestors sadly were not. They were stacked inside ships by sailors. Even Darwin, the benevolent father of natural history, whose image fills every outcrop of these islands in statues, paintings, and memorials, managed to eat two dozen of Lonesome George’s ancestors without pause (though by observing the small variations of tortoise shell, they certainly provided Darwin with food for thoughts of evolution). The museum dioramas of such voyages resemble those ghastly engravings of the middle passage of slave ships, so tightly packed were the living cargo of tortoises during the nineteenth century.
David Attenborough Worked with Him
Despite traveling the globe and enjoying countless memorable encounters, David Attenborough fondly remembers meeting Lonesome George twice. Firstly, for a television series made in 2008 about the Galapagos Islands. The second time was about a fortnight before the tortoise’s death, calling the tortoise “The rarest living animal in the world.” Attenborough describes having great affection for the animal and recognises him as a symbol of the biodiversity and the threat species face in the Galapagos.
Lonesome George’s Body is on Display
When his lifeless body was found by an international team of conservationists, many began to cry. Even at 100 years old, his death was considered premature. “We just witnessed extinction” Dr Eleanor Sterling exclaimed. Such reverence was evident in the care taken to preserve his 75 kg carcass, wrapping each leathery toe in a plastic sheath, his mouth painstakingly sealed, eyes tenderly closed. The taxidermy took place at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. After being exhibited there (and after a short contentious stint in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito), Lonesome George’s body was flown home to the Galapagos Islands to go on permanent display in the Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre (named after the conservationist who had cared for George for 40 years).
He has Inspired Conservation Programmes
Ecuador now has a good reputation for its conservation efforts, with the Galapagos Islands recently being removed from the red list for ‘World Heritage Sites in Danger’. This is surprising considering the past threats that faced species such as Lonesome George’s ancestors. Since 1970, baby tortoises have been bred and reared in the Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre. The baby tortoises are looked after here until the age of 5, when they are considered to be resilient enough to withstand any encounters with non-endemic predators such as rats and dogs. This has seen great success, with over 2000 tortoises being introduced safely back into their native islands.
