Floreana giant tortoise reintroduced to Galápagos island after almost 200 years
Subspecies driven to extinction by hungry whalers returns after ‘back breeding’ programme using partial descendants
TL;DR
- Giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island after an absence of over 180 years.
- The Floreana giant tortoise subspecies (*Chelonoidis niger niger*) was driven to extinction in the 1840s by whalers.
- 158 juvenile tortoises, genetically linked to the Floreana subspecies, have been returned to the island.
- The tortoises were recreated through a "back breeding" program using a relic population found on Wolf volcano, Isabela Island.
- The reintroduction is part of the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project, which includes invasive species eradication.
- The return of the tortoises is expected to help restore the island's ecosystems and benefit other native species.
- Invasive species like rats and feral cats had previously wiped out much of Floreana's native fauna and flora.