Giant Tortoises Make Remarkable Comeback in the Galápagos Islands

Giant tortoises are making a comeback in the Galápagos Islands. The majestic creatures are returning to this corner of the Atlantic after nearing extinction. Read on for the details of the return of these iconic reptiles.

Giant Tortoises Returning to the Galápagos Islands After Being Almost Wiped Out

There is good news in the Galápagos Islands. After experiencing a dramatic population drop, the region's famous giant tortoises are returning to this archipelago in South America. The reptiles have called this group of islands home for over two million years. However, invasive species and hunting practices nearly extinguished the animals.

According to the Galápagos Conservation Trust, 14 different species of tortoises once roamed the group of islands.  There were only 12 species housed across 10 islands by 2012. The conservancy said that there were about 200,000 to 300,000 of these tortoises left in the Galápagos at this time. This number was only 10% - 15% of past estimations.

The conservation trust blamed a number of factors on the demise of the tortoises. Invasive species such as horses, rats, and dogs disrupted the habitats of these reptiles. Many of the disruptions were introduced by the whalers that frequented these waters. Sailors coming through the region would also remove the reptiles from the islands to use as food on long voyages.

The Miraculous Return of the Floreana Species

The Floreana giant tortoise species went extinct in the Galápagos around 1850. This species was observed again in 2000 after scientists discovered thousands of these reptiles living near Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island. James Gibbs, vice president of Science and Conservation at the Galápagos Conservancy, said the group called them aliens in the beginning because they had not yet identified the specific species.

Gibbs led a team that took blood samples from the "alien" tortoises and sent them to Yale University for testing. Marine biology experts eventually determined that the tortoises were part of the Floreana lineage. Experts believe that flooding may have carried the tortoises to Isabela Island. There is also the chance that sailors could have transported the reptiles to this island.

The Floreana giant tortoises are being slowly relocated back to their home islands. Additionally, the Fausto Llerena Land Tortoise Breeding Center is now breeding, raising, and releasing this species back to where they belong. Just last February, 158 young giant tortoises from this lineage were released on Floreana Island. After an 180-year absence, the creatures were back in their ancestral home.

The Galápagos National Park Directorate led the release of the Floreana tortoises with support from the Galápagos Conservancy, Island Conservation, Fundación Jocotoco, and the Charles Darwin Foundation. The release was praised by conservationists as being a landmark moment in the effort to restore these populations and support their further growth.

According to Gibbs, the animals have “thrived remarkably.” Gibbs said that “They are voracious eaters and highly reproductive; in a very short time, they have produced 800 baby tortoises and will continue to produce an average of 60 per year."

The Floreana restoration project is a continuation of past efforts to replenish this population. Approximately 9,000 giant tortoises have been bred and released over the last six decades in this part of the world.

Gibbs credits the tortoises for being able to withstand the challenges that they have faced over the years, noting that “They are such resilient, long-lived, and tenacious creatures that they have, in fact, allowed us to solve some of the problems we have created."

In 2019, CNN reported that the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative confirmed that an adult female Fernandina Giant Tortoise was living on its native island. This species had been thought to be extinct for over a century, lending proof to the theory that these creatures are extremely resilient.

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