12.07.2012 - 15:55
In the summer of 2012, one of the subspecies of turtles - the Abingdon elephant tortoise - moved from the Red Book to the "black" list - a list of animals that have disappeared forever from our planet. Lonely George, this turtle was named after the American actor George Gobel, of course, not because of the resemblance - just the actor was an inveterate bachelor, and the turtle, to the greatest grief of zoologists, had the same tendency ...
hardened bachelor
The last representative of the now extinct subspecies was Lonely George - an 88-kilogram tortoise, 1 m 80 cm long, discovered by Hungarian naturalists on the small island of Pinta (north of the Galapagos archipelago) in 1972. More than a hundred years earlier, almost all Abingdon tortoises were exterminated by whalers and fishermen - this specimen survived miraculously.
No matter how they tried to pick up a mate for Lonesome George from Pinta Island, nothing worked. And on June 24, 2012, he died at the age of either 70 or 170 years old (the researchers could not determine the exact figure) without leaving any offspring.
George became a celebrity long before his death. Almost immediately after it was discovered by researchers, it was moved to national park Galapagos Islands, he was looked after, fed and protected in every possible way. Tens of thousands of tourists came to see the unique turtle, including such famous people as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Prince Charles. Writer Henry Nichols even wrote a book about her: Lonesome George: The Life and Love of the World's Most Famous Turtle.
gourmet cynicism
It is possible that already now the only places where animals can somehow survive will be carefully protected nature reserves and national parks. In any other place, wild representatives of the fauna are threatened with death. This is especially true of completely defenseless turtles. The fact is that the meat of these reptiles is highly valued by gourmets, and in many countries is considered a delicacy.
The most terrible thing in the extermination of turtles, and other animals, is that a person, indulging his whims, cannot do without cruelty. One traveler describes with disgust a picture he saw in one of the southern markets: “The buyers probably want to get the meat as fresh as possible, or the sellers do not want to take the trouble to kill the animal, so they simply separate the chest shell from a live turtle and cut it out, if desired. the buyer, the specified piece of meat from the body of the victim. The European in horror sees at the same time how the tormented animal rolls its eyes, slowly opens and closes its mouth, and how the heart beats, which is usually the last to demand. In theory, after such a spectacle, even a very tasty piece of turtle meat will not go down the throat, but this does not bother local gourmets.
As already mentioned, fishermen made a special "contribution" to the extermination of turtles. The sailors cynically called them "live canned food" because the reptiles, being caught, could live for months in the hold of the ship without water and food, waiting for the moment when they were cooked and served on the table. Back in the 16th century, there were about a quarter of a million individuals of the Galapagos tortoises. By 1970, there were no more than three thousand of them left. Judging by the records of ship logs, only 79 whaling ships in 36 years (in the middle of the 19th century) took out more than 10 thousand reptiles from the archipelago.
There is evidence that at the beginning of the 18th century, on one of the islands, about 40,000 individuals of one of the species of turtles that lived there were allowed ... to feed pigs.
Hunting for offspring
Not only land turtles, but also sea turtles are under the threat of extinction. Submitting to the whims of gourmets, the “getters” hunt both the reptiles themselves and their unborn offspring.
One sea turtle lays approximately 100 eggs per year. For their clutches, females dig small holes in the sand of once deserted beaches. But the local population is well aware of the places of permanent clutches, and every season a ruthless hunt begins, for turtles and their eggs. The market for mining is unusually gluttonous.
Mexicans, for example, believe that turtle eggs increase male potency and, despite the fact that the authorities have been fighting poachers for many years, all street vendors in Mexico City know where you can get a treat for a real macho. In fact, uncontrolled hunting for turtle offspring, in the end, led to the fact that only one turtle out of four thousand has a chance to reach puberty.
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I dedicate this post to the memory of Lonely George, the last representative of a rare subspecies of armored reptiles - the Abingdon elephant tortoise. Lonely George died yesterday in the Galapagos National Park, where he has lived since 1972.
Sad news. A WHOLE SPECIES of the giant elephant tortoise has disappeared from the face of the Earth forever. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Only people actively destroyed elephant turtles. It is bitter to realize that the true culprit of this tragedy has once again become Homo sapience - REASONABLE MAN!!! You already begin to doubt the latter, analyzing the activity of the human race from its inception to the present day. Now we have no choice but to mourn our own sacrifice.
In the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George, the last male giant elephant tortoise at the age of one hundred, died.
The most famous tortoise died in the Galapagos (photo: noblebrute.com)
According to reports from the Galapagos National Park, Lonesome George, the last and only member of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies, passed away on Sunday, June 24th.
This morning, the park ranger came to check on George, but found that his body was motionless and he did not react to the surrounding reality. His life has come to an end, - said the head of the Galapagos National Park, Edwin Naula.
George was found on the island of Pinta in 1972 and since then the glory of the "symbol" of the Galapagos Islands, located in Ecuador, has stuck to him.
Thousands of tourists came to Ecuador to see George (photo: noblepride.com)
Every year, thousands of tourists specially came to the island in order to admire "the most famous bachelor in the world."
A book was also written about George - Lonely George: The Life and Love of the World's Most Famous Turtle. The author of a popular science book dedicated to a huge turtle, was Henry Nichols.
Yana Shebalina, Life News Online
01:23, Monday June 25, 2012
http://lifenews.ru/news/95353
And now we have to get acquainted with the "biography" of the elephant turtle. So...
The elephant tortoise is a real giant among all representatives of the detachment. This animal is considered a rare species today due to the fact that at one time it was the only available food for sailors.
Sailors of the XXVI-XXVII centuries said that a myriad of elephant turtles were found on the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, and also throughout the Galapagos archipelago. They gathered in huge herds of 2000 - 3000 animals. Ships that sailed to India always stopped near these islands to stock up on elephant turtles. At the same time, several hundred animals were immediately loaded on board. For 20 to 30 years, many captains have been collecting elephant tortoises for the purpose of selling them. As a result, at the beginning of the 19th century, elephant tortoises remained only in Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands. By the way, the Galapagos Islands were once called the Turtle Islands, and now the elephant tortoise is sometimes called the Galapagos.
Among the elephant turtles there are giants, reaching 400 kg in weight, and more than a meter in length of the shell. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Actively destroyed elephant turtles, perhaps, only people. And for the same reason, today they are forced to protect these reptiles, which have significantly decreased in number.
The absence of danger to some extent determined the appearance of the elephant tortoise. Its carapace resembles a saddle and is wide open in front. Due to this openness, the elephant tortoise is able to regulate its body temperature in the hot climate of the Galapagos Islands, where it lives. Male elephant tortoises are noticeably larger than females and, due to this size, have always been interesting objects for zoos. But today, all subspecies of this animal, of which there are about 16, are listed in the IUCN Red List. Interestingly, elephant turtles sometimes choose plants that are poisonous to other animals as food. Undoubtedly, this animal can rightly be called the main attraction of the Galapagos Islands. Even Charles Darwin noted how interesting it is to observe the behavior of elephant turtles. In particular, he described such an unusual feature of the animal as deafness. Whether elephant turtles really have hearing problems, the scientist did not explain, but said that the steps of a person who met a turtle and followed it, the animal does not hear and is not frightened until the pursuer falls into its field of vision.
Other names
Chelonoidis elephant opus is the name of a species of elephant tortoise, derived from lat. Chelonoidis (a genus of land turtles).
Testudo elephant opus - the name is derived from lat. Testudines (tortoise order) and Testudinidae (land tortoise family).
Geochelone elephant opus, Chelonoidis nigra, Geochelone nigra, Testudo nigra - lat. species name in combination with lat. nigra (black), a character referring to the predominantly dark color of the shell of the elephant tortoise.
Galápagos giant tortoise, Galápagos tortoise Galapagos tortoise.
The Galapagos tortoise is another well-known name for its habitat.
Classification
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Subtype: Vertebrates
Class: Reptiles
Order: Turtles
Suborder: Hidden-necked turtles
Family: Land turtles
Genus: American land
turtles
Species: Elephant turtle
Subspecies: abingdonii (Abingdon), becki (Rothschild's tortoise), chathamensis (Chatham), darvini (Darwin's tortoise), ephippium (Pinson's tortoise), duncanensis (Duncan), galopagoensis (Charles Island tortoise), guentheri (Guenther's tortoise), hoodensis ( Hispaniola), microphyes (Isabelle), nigrita (Black), phantastica (Fernandina tortoise), porteri (Santacruz), vandenburghi (Vandenburg tortoise), vicina (Cave), wallacei (Jervis).
habitation
A rare, in fact, endangered species of elephant tortoises today has survived only on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Ecuador ( South America) and also on the territory of Aldabra Island, which is a national park and located in the Indian Ocean. The areas inhabited by elephant tortoises are distinguished by a hot, dry climate and sparse vegetation. This is mainly a sparse grass cover and rare shrubs and trees. You can also meet elephant turtles in tropical broad-leaved forests, on scrub plains and savannahs, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos Islands, covered with solidified lava. In search of fresh water and available vegetation, these reptiles are able to climb winding paths leading to volcanic highlands. Female elephant tortoises prefer the sandy lowlands of the coast, because there it is most convenient for them to lay their eggs, but male elephants climb high on the mountain slopes, because the vegetation there is lush and the air is humid. By the way, elephant turtles living in the lowlands tend to make long journeys in search of sources of fresh water and even tread noticeable paths to them, along which people later found this water at one time.
As already mentioned, 16 subspecies of elephant tortoises are known, and their habitat is usually limited to one of the islands. And a hint about which one is often contained in the name of the subspecies. For example, the Abingdon tortoise is found on about. Abingdon (Pinta), mostly in rocky, uneven terrain where volcanic rocks come to the surface. Rothschild's tortoise has chosen the uneven, bushy northern and western slopes of Wolf Island. Isabela. The Chatham elephant tortoise is easy to find in the northeastern meadows of about. Santa Cristobal. Darwin's turtle is found on the rocks of about. San Salvador at an altitude of 200 to 700 m above sea level. Pinzon's tortoise lives on narrow grassy areas on the southwestern slope of the volcano. Gunther's elephant tortoises inhabit the Sierra Negro mountain system in the southeast of Isabela Island, but are also found on dry plains with rare cacti and trees. The habitat of the Hispaniola tortoise, respectively, the rocks of the island of Hispaniola. Isabelskaya is found within the dry slopes of the Darwin volcano on about. Isabela. The population of the Black elephant tortoise settled in the clearings of about. Santa Cruz and, by the way, is considered the most numerous among all subspecies. The tortoises of Fernandina Island live, respectively, on its volcanic slopes. The Vandenburg elephant tortoise spread not only along the slopes of the Aldero volcano on about. Albemarle, but also occupied its crater. And, finally, the cave elephant turtle chose the Sierra Azul volcano in the south of about. Isabela.
Description
Elephant turtles are rather slow animals. They travel no more than 6 km per day. Female elephant tortoises lay 10-14 eggs in small holes and don't take care of them anymore.
During the day, elephant turtles are very cautious, but at night they pay absolutely no attention to anything, which is why they seem blind and deaf.
We have already mentioned that the elephant tortoise is a giant of amazing size. Its shell can be up to 120 cm long and 60 cm high. The average weight is 100 kg. And the approximate life expectancy is 150 years. However, the name of the elephant tortoise is due not only to its size, but also to its appearance. To support the heavy and massive body of the reptile, powerful columnar legs are adapted, indeed, reminiscent of elephants. And her skin on the limbs and neck protruding from under the shell is very similar to the thick rubbery epidermis of an elephant. The upper shield of the shell of an elephant tortoise has a special saddle shape - from behind it falls low and slightly bends upwards, and in front, on the contrary, it is raised high, so that the front legs and the long thin neck of the reptile remain practically unprotected. Males have a longer tail with a clear pattern.
Different subspecies of elephant tortoises differ mainly in the size and shape of the shell. On this basis, scientists classified them into two groups. The smallest elephant tortoises live on small arid islands and have longer, thinner legs. Their shell clearly repeats the shape of the saddle, and the weight is about 25-50 kg. In areas with a more humid climate, elephant turtles are also larger. They have a high, dome-like shell. Zoologists suggest that thanks to this form of carpax, elephant turtles are easily introduced into any plant jungle. On the dorsal shield of these reptiles, a pattern is noticeably distinguished in the form of polygons located in each other, by the number of sides of which it is possible to calculate the age of the animal. The elephant turtle is most active during the day, and at night it hides the back of its body in a hole specially dug for this purpose. During the day, the reptile finds salvation from heat and insects by burrowing into silt or liquid mud.
Elephant turtles feed on plants and drink a lot of water. If there is no water near their pasture, elephant tortoises do not go to the watering hole every day, but store water in their bladder and consume it as needed.
Since the living conditions of elephant turtles are not the most favorable, they are also quite unpretentious in nutrition. The largest part of the diet is plant foods - leaves of shrubs and grass on volcanic slopes, succulent cacti that replace water for turtles, tree lichens and leaves, low-hanging berries and fruits, aquatic vegetation, algae. The main delicacy for elephant turtles is tomatoes. Living in a dry area, the reptile can do without water and food for a long time. However, if the elephant tortoise finds a source of fresh water, then it will drink it little by little for a long time, burrowing into the silt aground. Among the plants that elephant tortoises eat with pleasure are stinging nettles and various thorny bushes that do not cause them any harm. Animal food for a reptile most often becomes a variety of found carrion.
Many navigators said that on the ship, elephant turtles sometimes starved for up to 18 months, and upon arrival at the port they turned out to be quite healthy and viable. There are cases when elephant turtles lived in captivity for 100-150 years.
In the terrarium, it is recommended to feed the elephant tortoise with plant foods. In general, this giant is rarely kept at home, more often it is found in various national parks or zoos. There, a completely balanced diet is created for the elephant tortoise, mainly vegetable with a small addition of animal protein.
In order for the mating of elephant turtles to be successful, nature has provided special tricks in the structure of males. In particular, they have a small notch on the bottom of the shell, which allows them to climb onto the female's shell and stay on it. If fertilization has happened, then the female elephant tortoise is preparing for laying. Every year she is able to lay her eggs in the same pre-selected warm and safe place. Sometimes the female preliminarily digs several nests in different places in order to choose the most suitable one from them later. In search of a suitable laying place, females often make real trips around the islands. The number of eggs in the elephant tortoise clutch is approximately 2-20 each year from November to April. Moreover, she lays them in the prepared nest very carefully, insuring with the help of a special enveloping liquid, and then just as carefully sprinkles them with earth. In the nest, turtle eggs will “ripen” for a little more than six months - from June to December. And the hatched elephant turtles will dig up the ground and get to the surface on their own.
It is not possible to have a giant elephant tortoise at home due to its huge size. Most often, these reptiles live in various zoos and southern reserves, where spacious enclosures with vegetation and pools are equipped for them. In captivity, elephant tortoises are bred specifically to increase the numbers of an endangered species. In the wild, under the supervision of people, it is not difficult for these reptiles to create suitable conditions, because the most they need is the sun, warmth and the availability of plant foods. The most suitable air temperature for breeding elephant turtles should be + 28- + 33 degrees Celsius.
And a very short video about the elephant turtle in conclusion
Lonesome George is the last tortoise of one of the subspecies of giant reptiles found in the Galapagos Islands. He was kept in captivity for a long time, which probably caused his sudden death. Lonely George passed away on 06/24/2012. On the day of death, the animal was only 100 years old, which is very young for turtles of this species.
Who was Lonely George
There is an assumption that this individual was the last representative of the subspecies of the Abingdon elephant tortoises, which previously inhabited the islands of the Galapagos archipelago. He was considered a symbol of environmental protection. After death, the body was embalmed and placed as an exhibit in the stand, he looks proud, with his head held high. To some extent, this can be regarded as a mockery, because it was people who, for 100-300 years, which were meager by geological standards, brought this subspecies to complete extinction. Of course, if we talk about the practical side of things, then everything is done correctly. After all, now this is the only opportunity to see what these reptiles looked like.
The elephant tortoise Lonely George was the last hope of biologists for the resurrection of this subspecies, but the reptile never gave birth. This male was called "the most famous bachelor in the world." Unfortunately, he was not found a mate among females of related species.
How did the ancestors of the famous turtle live?
The Galapagos Islands were formed from a large volcano gradually, one after another. It was several million years ago. The lava islands detached from the raging mountain were displaced to the southeast at an average rate of 7 cm/year. This was enough to form an archipelago of 16 islands.
The harsh climate and poor soil have led to severe natural selection and the formation of endemic species of animals and plants. Among them are giant tortoises. The first to notice this was the famous scientist Charles Darwin, who visited these pieces of land. He found that the shells of giant tortoises taken from different islands of the archipelago differ in shape.
There is no drinking water, so turtles must eat a lot of grass to get it. This circumstance could cause the absence of predators, so they had no natural enemies.
In addition to turtles, other unique species live on the island - iguanas, endemic birds and reptiles.
Barbaric deeds of "reasonable man"
Once the islands were inhabited by a huge number of giant one and a half to two-meter turtles. The weight of these animals was several hundred kilograms. They prospered, as there was always plenty of food. The first settlers began to use the meat of reptiles (and even their cubs) for food. Pieces of the shell served as a frying pan. Since they had meat on them, it was very convenient. Soup was made from little turtles. Their meat was considered very tender. There was no other acceptable food on the islands.
AT huge number turtles were taken out on ships, where they were also used as provisions. Sailors called them "live canned food", as these animals survived for a long time without food and water.
However, the greatest damage to the islands was caused after the resettlement of goats and pigs there. They quickly multiplied and began to threaten many island species, putting them on the brink of extinction, because they quickly ate grass - the main food of the clumsy reptiles. The island of Pinto suffered the most, where there were no giant tortoises at all.
To save the unique species, since 1974 a program has been launched to restore turtles and other rare animals of the archipelago. By that time, about 30-40 thousand goats were already wandering around it. They all needed to be removed from there, and this required huge efforts. It wasn't until 2009 that all goats were removed from the Galapagos Islands.
As a result of these actions, the number of giant tortoises began to grow again, having increased from 3 thousand in the 70s of the 20th century to 20 thousand by now.
However, the subspecies, which included Lonely George (Abingdon elephant tortoise), could not be saved. Its representatives were destroyed 150 years ago. However, some scientists continue to fight for this species.
Is it possible to restore the Abingdon tortoises
In 2007, researchers found reptiles very genetically close to the famous George. It happened on Isabella Island. It is believed that one of their closest relatives could be the Abingdon elephant tortoise. In total, 17 reptiles with a similar genome were found. Scientists have conducted many experiments, but so far their efforts have not been successful.
The story of Lonely George is a vivid example of how carefully we need to treat what we have.
Lonely George
Lonely George, photo 2007
George was found by a Hungarian scientist on the island of Pinta (a small island in the north of the archipelago, also called Abingdon) in 1972. Named after American actor George Gobel (English) Russian . Theoretically, turtles of this species are able to maintain the ability to reproduce even at the age of 200 years. Since George's death, the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies is considered extinct.
For decades, zoologists have tried to get offspring from George, but to no avail. At one time, scientists believed that George was not capable of reproduction at all, but this turned out not to be the case. In May 2007, after a genetic analysis of 2000 turtles, a female from Wolf volcano was discovered, genetically similar to George, being a hybrid and having a paternal relative of George, after which there was hope for continuation of the genus. Fertilization occurred, but the embryos in the eggs were not viable.
George was often called the most famous bachelor in the world .
Lonesome George is the subject of Lonesome George: The Life and Love of the World's Most Famous Turtle by Henry Nichols. Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the world "s most famous tortoise ) .
On June 24, 2012, the body of a unique reptile was found without signs of life by the caretaker of the reserve Fausto Llereno, who had been caring for the turtle for 40 years. Lonely George died at the age of about 100 without giving offspring. This means the extinction of the corresponding subspecies. . Once opened, the turtle will be embalmed and displayed in a local museum so that future generations will have a visual representation of the extinct reptile.
Literature
- Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Rare and endangered animals. Amphibians and reptiles / ed. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Higher. school, 1988. - S. 53. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-06-001429-0
Notes
Sources
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .
See what "Lonely George" is in other dictionaries:
George Orwell ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Lonely man. A Single Man ... Wikipedia
Byron, George Noel Gordon- George Noel Gordon Byron. BYRON (Byron) George Noel Gordon (1788 1824), English romantic poet; from 1809 member of the House of Lords. In 1816 he left Great Britain and lived in Italy. In the poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-18), Eastern poems (including ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Byron) (1788 1824), English romantic poet; member of the House of Lords. In 1816 he left Great Britain and lived in Italy. In the poems "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" (1812-18), "Prisoner of Chillon" (1816), "oriental" poems of the 1810s. (including "Gyaur", ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (1788 1824) English romantic poet; member of the House of Lords. In 1816 he left Great Britain and lived in Italy. In the poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812 18), oriental poems (including Giaur, Lara, Corsair), philosophical symbolic dramatic ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Villiers) Duke of Buckingham, English satirist during the Restoration. Born in 1628 and brought up after his father (see the corresponding article) was killed by Felton, along with the children of Charles I. When the revolution began, he left Cambridge, ... ...
Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
- (George Meredith) an outstanding English novelist; genus. in 1828; in his youth he lived for a long time in Germany, studied German literature a lot; later became friends with the Pre-Raphaelites, especially D. G. Rosetti; for many years he has been living almost as a hermit near ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
In the early morning of Sunday, June 24, perhaps the most famous tortoise in the world, a Galapagos named Lonely George, died. Together with George, a whole subspecies of giant reptiles disappeared from the planet, which once inhabited the Galapagos Islands in abundance, but were exterminated by people in just a hundred years.
background
The first of the many islands of the Galapagos archipelago was formed about 5-10 million years ago. Its "parent" was a volcano: the material that makes up the island is hardened lava. Following the first island, a second, third, and so on formed - now the group includes 16 large islands and many small formations. The archipelago is located in the region of the Galapagos Rift - a transverse fault in the earth's crust, which manifests itself as constant ejections of lava. This volcanically active zone is called the Nazca plateau, and it is slowly shifting to the southeast at a rate of about seven centimeters per year. Accordingly, older islands move away over time, giving way to younger ones.
Moving away from the place of their formation, the islands are slowly covered with vegetation, although rather sparse compared to the mainland regions located at the same latitude - that is, almost at the equator. But the relative poverty of the plant world is more than compensated by its uniqueness. There are practically no sources of fresh water on the islands, and the climate there is very cool, so the plants that ventured to gain a foothold in the Galapagos had to develop a fair amount of adaptations to harsh conditions.
Island animals also differ markedly from their relatives on the "mainland" - the vast majority of species living in the Galapagos are endemic, that is, unique to this particular place. By staying on the islands, the tetrapods and birds got a bleak landscape, a harsh climate, and often a very meager choice of food, but rid themselves of the mainland's countless predators.
Story
George's ancestors appeared on one of the smallest islands of the Pinta archipelago a very long time ago. The giant tortoises - the length of the dorsal shield of their shell reaches one meter or more - had no natural enemies in the Galapagos, so they bred for their own pleasure and freely roamed the island, eating juicy grass. There were so many leisurely reptiles covered with thick bone plates that the islands were even named after them - the Spanish word "galapago" means one of the varieties of aquatic turtles.
While we were at the top of the island, we ate exclusively turtle meat. The fried breast part of the shell with the meat left on it is very good, and the cubs make an excellent soup. But in general, turtle meat, for my taste, is nothing special.
The island idyll remained unchanged for thousands of years, until one day, which was no different from the others, people appeared on the island. They quickly realized that turtles were not able to defend themselves against enemies, and since there was no other food for Pinta, they quickly mastered the preparation of various dishes from turtle meat. Sailors hunted not only for adult turtles, but also for cubs, from which a very tender soup was obtained.
A little later, people decided to colonize the Galapagos and, in order to make life on the uncomfortable islands more enjoyable, they brought their pets with them. This turned out to be a fatal decision: if the pigs simply trampled the grass, then the goats ate it at such a speed that entire turtle families died of starvation. There were also dogs that did not dare to attack turtles, but they took great pleasure in catching unsuspecting iguanas. Gradually, giant tortoises on the island of Pinta met less and less until they disappeared altogether.
A few more decades passed, and when it seemed that the island had finally died, the situation suddenly changed for the better. Similar processes took place on the neighboring islands of Pinto, and although the consequences there were not so catastrophic due to the larger size, it became clear to environmentalists that the Galapagos Islands needed to be saved, and urgently. In order to prevent the transformation of a unique natural reserve into a lifeless desert, in 1974 a large-scale program was launched on the archipelago to restore the turtle population. Scientists have also tried to save other endemic animals.
To stop the destruction of the islands, it was necessary, first of all, to get rid of goats and other introduced species. In 1959, the fishermen brought with them only three herbivores: a male and two females. By 1973, more than 30 thousand individuals lived on the island. The extermination of the goats that have bred on the archipelago required a lot of efforts from environmentalists: they finally managed to cope with this task only in 2009. More than 80,000 animals and over six million dollars were spent during the impact phase.
In parallel, the researchers, as best they could, restored the number of turtles on the islands. As a result of their efforts, the number of giant reptiles has increased from 3,000 in 1974 to 20,000 today.
The present
But for the subspecies Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, to which Lonely George belonged, the story, alas, was over forever. By the time the Galapagos Islands restoration program began, it was believed that C. n. abingdoni extinct, but in 1972 (according to other sources, in 1971), the Hungarian biologist Josef Vazvolgyi noticed a characteristic silhouette on Pinta Island. The miraculously preserved turtle was placed in a specially equipped enclosure and began to search for suitable partners for George.
Since other known representatives of the subspecies C. n. abingdoni left, scientists selected girlfriends for George from the closest groups. As a result, we settled on two females caught on the neighboring island of Isabella. For the first 15 years of living together, George did not show any interest in the ladies, but in 2008 one of the turtles laid eggs. Scientists immediately placed them in an incubator, but, despite all the thoroughness of nursing, not a single cub hatched. A year later, one of George's companions laid eggs again, and again to no avail.
The lonely male did not try to leave offspring anymore - perhaps the difference between the two subspecies, which was insignificant for people, seemed too big for him. In 2011, two females from the island of Hispaniola, belonging to the subspecies C. n. hoodensis- a closer analysis showed that genetically they are closer to George than the turtles from Isabella. New girlfriends remained with the rescued until his death, but George did not want to mate with any of them.
The corpse of the last representative of the once numerous subspecies C. n. abingdoni discovered in the early morning of June 24 by the keeper of the enclosure, who had been caring for the turtle for more than 40 years. Judging by the posture, George was heading for a water hole. The exact cause of the death of the animal is still unknown - in the near future, experts intend to conduct an autopsy and understand what happened to him. By the standards of giant tortoises, which are believed to live for two hundred years, George was still very young - he was hardly over a hundred.
Future
Despite all the tragedy of what happened, some researchers believe that the subspecies C. n. abingdoni can still be restored. According to some reports, the giant tortoise living in the Prague Zoo is the same species as George. Later, DNA analysis disproved these assumptions, but in 2007, scientists found animals on Isabella Island whose genes contained about half of George's genes. In other words, the found turtles were most likely born from a union C. n. abingdoni with a representative of some other subspecies. And it cannot be ruled out that the parent of unusual animals has not yet died, which means that it is possible to find him.
