Lonesome No More

On November 1, 1971 the last Pinta Island tortoise was discovered. Prior to this, it was believed that these tortoises had been hunted to extinction by pirates in the 1800s. Lonesome George, the last tortoise, was known as the rarest animal on the planet and was the face of conservation for the Galápagos Islands. George died on June 24, 2012 around the age of 100. 

Photo: telegraph.co.uk

When George was discovered, he was removed from the island so that he could be protected. Efforts to have him mate so that his kind would not go extinct all ended in failure and his death is one of the few instances in which scientists know the exact time of extinction. While mating efforts failed, there is a possible opportunity for his sub-species to continue: when Pinta Island tortoises were being hunted, some of them were also taken to different islands where they mated and created hybrid tortoises.

Photo: animalcorner.co.uk

Today, Lonesome George is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He is on loan and will eventually return to the Galápagos Islands, but for now he is a reminder to visitors that species do not last forever and conservation efforts are necessary to halt the extinction of rare animals and plants. 

Photo: Hilary Grabowska