Giant Tortoises Released on Galápagos Floreana Island After Long Absence

In Brief

Ecuador released over 150 captive-bred giant tortoises on Floreana Island, Galápagos, after more than a century.

Key Facts

• More than 150 giant tortoises have been reintroduced to Floreana Island in the Galápagos archipelago.
• The native Floreana giant tortoise subspecies was reported extinct in the 1840s, according to multiple sources.
• The reintroduction involved captive-bred juvenile tortoises descended from related subspecies, according to conservation groups.
• A total of 158 juvenile tortoises were released in the first phase of the project.
• The release is part of a rewilding effort at the Galápagos World Heritage Site.

What Happened

Ecuadorian authorities and conservation organizations released over 150 captive-bred juvenile giant tortoises onto Floreana Island in the Galápagos. The native subspecies was reported extinct in the 1840s, and the released tortoises are descended from related subspecies through breeding programs.

Why It Matters

The reintroduction is part of a conservation project aimed at restoring tortoise populations on Floreana Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conservation groups and Ecuadorian officials describe the effort as a step toward ecological restoration. Sources describe the tortoises as partial descendants of the extinct subspecies; exact genetic lineage details are not fully specified.