The world's most famous tortoise, and the living symbol of the Galapagos National Park, has taken an important step into saving it's species from imminent extinction.
A last member of its kind, a male tortoise was found alone on his home island Pinta in the early seventies. Soon brought to the safety of the Charles Darwin Research Station, and named Jorge, or George in English, by the park wardens that took care of him. The word soon spread that George was a living extinction unless a female was found for him to reproduce. "Lonesome George" fit the tortoise better than his predecessor, the NBC American comedian, George Gobel.
Scientists have searched the Island Pinta, as well as any zoo or private collection worldwide for a partner for George. Hopes have, over the futile years, focused on the last resource to save his species. George should breed with the most similar tortoise species in Galapagos. For this purpose, George has been sharing his pen with two attractive females from island Isabela's northernmost volcano Wolf, a race similar to George, both physically and genetically. Strangely, George has shown so far little if any attraction to these females, and hopes to save the species have again dropped systematically.
Until this week: National Park Authorities proudly announced the finding of the first fertile eggs laid in George's pen. A new hope is standing high to save the rarest tortoise in the world from extinction.
by Klaus Fielsch (MT Expedition Manager), July 2008
Click here for our Complete Ecuador holiday
A last member of its kind, a male tortoise was found alone on his home island Pinta in the early seventies. Soon brought to the safety of the Charles Darwin Research Station, and named Jorge, or George in English, by the park wardens that took care of him. The word soon spread that George was a living extinction unless a female was found for him to reproduce. "Lonesome George" fit the tortoise better than his predecessor, the NBC American comedian, George Gobel.
Scientists have searched the Island Pinta, as well as any zoo or private collection worldwide for a partner for George. Hopes have, over the futile years, focused on the last resource to save his species. George should breed with the most similar tortoise species in Galapagos. For this purpose, George has been sharing his pen with two attractive females from island Isabela's northernmost volcano Wolf, a race similar to George, both physically and genetically. Strangely, George has shown so far little if any attraction to these females, and hopes to save the species have again dropped systematically.
Until this week: National Park Authorities proudly announced the finding of the first fertile eggs laid in George's pen. A new hope is standing high to save the rarest tortoise in the world from extinction.
by Klaus Fielsch (MT Expedition Manager), July 2008
Click here for our Complete Ecuador holiday
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