#extinction #comebacks

"Giant tortoises make a comeback on Galapagos island

More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in Ecuador's famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago, the environment ministry said Friday. Floreana was once home to some 20,000 giant tortoises, but whaling, a devastating fire, and relentless human exploitation led to their complete extinction on the island.

More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in Ecuador's famed Galapagos archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago, the environment ministry said Friday. Floreana was once home to some 20,000 giant tortoises, but whaling, a devastating fire, and relentless human exploitation led to their complete extinction on the island.

A giant tortoise being released by park rangers on Floreana Island in the Galapagos archipelago, Ecuador, on February 20, 2026. © Handout via Ecuador's ministry of environment, AFP

Nearly 150 years after the last giant tortoises were removed from Floreana Island in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago, the species made a comeback Friday, when dozens of juvenile hybrids were released to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem.

The 158 newcomers, aged 8 to 13, have begun exploring the habitat they are destined to reshape over the coming years. Their release was perfectly timed with the arrival of the season’s first winter rains.

'They are large enough to be released and can defend themselves against introduced animals such as rats and cats,' said Fredy Villalba, director of the Galapagos National Park breeding centre on Santa Cruz Island, noting that the best specimens with the strongest lineage were selected specifically for Floreana."

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260221-giant-tortoises-make-comeback-galapagos-island-floreana