Giant tortoise thought extinct 100 years ago is alive in Galapagos Islands

A giant tortoise species, which scientists thought had died out more than a century ago, was found on the Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands.

• Genetic tests match the single female tortoise to the species Chelonoidis phantasticus.

• Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences found the tortoise during a 2019 expedition to Fernandina Island to study flora and fauna.

• Last time the giant species was spotted in 1906.

• The female Fernandina giant tortoise, which is estimated to be more than 100 years old, is currently in a breeding centre on Santa Cruz Island.

¡Se creía extinta hace más de 100 años! Hemos reconfirmado su existencia. La tortuga de la especie Chelonoidis phantasticus fue encontrada en #Galápagos. Empezar con tan buenas noticias nuestra gestión es una linda coincidencia. La esperanza está intacta. #JuntosLoLogramos pic.twitter.com/KOmBMLIfEY

— Gustavo Manrique M. (@GustavoManriq_M) May 25, 2021

About Galápagos Islands

• The Galápagos Islands is situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the South American continent.

• These 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’.

• Many types of finch available on these islands inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.

• The Galápagos Islands is a UNESCO World Heritage site.