Santa Cruz Island
Today I want to tell you a very interesting conservation story about the Galapagos giant tortoises. Last century, around the middle 60’s, it was known that very few giant tortoises were living on Española Island. Centuries of continuos exploitation reduced their numbers drastically. Just fourteen individuals represented the total population of the particular race of this island: two males and twelve females. This number was so low that these majestic reptiles were as close as you can imagine to extinction. Obviously the tortoises did not have many chances to meet each other or even to mate in the wild.
One at a time, as they were located, these tortoises were transported to the Charles Darwin Research Station. A program to breed different giant tortoise races in captive conditions was started. The Española individuals were breeding pretty well. In April 1975, for the very first time, seventeen five-year-olds were repatriated! A real success isn’t it? But, the scientists were facing one problem. There was a serious lack of variation in the genetic pool. With only two males providing their genes, there was a dangerous potential of inbreeding in the future. Suddenly something amazing happened, a third Española male was found. He was located at the San Diego Zoo!
The male’s distinctive carapace shell shape and size were clues for its identification. The value of the genetic material this tortoise carries is a great contribution to save the Española race. “Diego”, as we call him, came back to the Galapagos Islands after living in California for fifty years! The original two males probably saw the newly arrived Diego as competition. Diego probably was delighted to have, after fifty years, many females to mate with. So everybody was happy; tortoises, scientists and Galapagos National Park wardens!
This wonderful story continues; last year tortoise number one thousand was repatriated to Española. This creature is called appropriately “Milton” since “mil” is Spanish for a thousand. In today’s picture you can see Diego, proudly wearing the number “15” carved in his shell. Diego represents a real triumph for conservation efforts.
Today I want to tell you a very interesting conservation story about the Galapagos giant tortoises. Last century, around the middle 60’s, it was known that very few giant tortoises were living on Española Island. Centuries of continuos exploitation reduced their numbers drastically. Just fourteen individuals represented the total population of the particular race of this island: two males and twelve females. This number was so low that these majestic reptiles were as close as you can imagine to extinction. Obviously the tortoises did not have many chances to meet each other or even to mate in the wild.
One at a time, as they were located, these tortoises were transported to the Charles Darwin Research Station. A program to breed different giant tortoise races in captive conditions was started. The Española individuals were breeding pretty well. In April 1975, for the very first time, seventeen five-year-olds were repatriated! A real success isn’t it? But, the scientists were facing one problem. There was a serious lack of variation in the genetic pool. With only two males providing their genes, there was a dangerous potential of inbreeding in the future. Suddenly something amazing happened, a third Española male was found. He was located at the San Diego Zoo!
The male’s distinctive carapace shell shape and size were clues for its identification. The value of the genetic material this tortoise carries is a great contribution to save the Española race. “Diego”, as we call him, came back to the Galapagos Islands after living in California for fifty years! The original two males probably saw the newly arrived Diego as competition. Diego probably was delighted to have, after fifty years, many females to mate with. So everybody was happy; tortoises, scientists and Galapagos National Park wardens!
This wonderful story continues; last year tortoise number one thousand was repatriated to Española. This creature is called appropriately “Milton” since “mil” is Spanish for a thousand. In today’s picture you can see Diego, proudly wearing the number “15” carved in his shell. Diego represents a real triumph for conservation efforts.
