100-YO Giant Tortoise That Saved His Species From Extinction Retires To Native Island
The giant Gal¨¢pagos tortoise, Diego, who single-handedly saved the threatened species by fathering over 800 hatchings, has now retired to the native island. Diego was in captivity at San Diego Zoo and from there he was selected to take part in the breeding programme.
In January this year, a sex-crazed tortoise made headlines for fathering hundreds - nearly 800 - of hatchlings and almost single-handedly saving his species.
Now, the same giant tortoise with the unstoppable libido has been released back into the wild after years in captivity.
Galapagos National Park
About the giant tortoise named Deigo
Diego along with some other tortoises was chosen in the 1960s to take part in a breeding programme on Santa Cruz Island, off the southwestern coast of California. Approximately 40 per cent of all living Espanola Island giant tortoises are related to Diego.
Diego weighs about 80 kg (175 pounds), is nearly 90 cm (35 inches) long and 1.5 meters (five feet) tall, if he stretches his legs and neck, reports The Guardian.
Diego was in captivity at San Diego Zoo and from there he was
selected to take part in the breeding programme.
At that time, only two males and 12 females of the same species as Diego existed - the Chelonoidis hoodensis, on the island of Espa?ola in the Gal¨¢pagos.
Diego the Gal¨¢pagos tortoise /Instagram/BBC
Decision To Release Deigo
The Giant Tortoise Restoration (GTRI) initiative was ended by Ecuador's environmental ministry back in January. The Galapagos Conservancy has now allowed Diego to retire to the Galapagos Islands after saving Espanola Island tortoises from going extinct
¡°He¡¯s contributed a large percentage to the lineage that we are returning to Espanola,¡± Galapagos National Park director, Jorge Carrion, told the AFP.
The initiative¡¯s director confirmed 'sufficient conditions' for the turtle population had returned to normal.
¡°Based on the results of the last census conducted at the end of 2019 and all the data available since 1960, both of the island and its turtle population, we developed mathematical models with different possible scenarios for the next hundred years and in all the conclusion was that the island has sufficient conditions to keep the turtle population that will continue to grow normally, ¡± GTRI director, Tapia Washington, said earlier this year.
The Gal¨¢pagos national park's director, Jorge Carrion, told AFP, ¡°He's contributed a large percentage to the lineage that we are returning to Espa?ola. There's a feeling of happiness to have the possibility of returning that tortoise to his natural state."
In order to protect the delicate ecosystem of the small island, Diego and the other tortoises that he was released with, were quarantined, to avoid transferring any plants from the other island.