Giant Tortoise Population Reaches Record High

Decades of conservation efforts have helped the wild giant tortoise population on Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles recover to a record high of approximately 183,000.

“More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve,” says Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, CEO of the Seychelles Islands Foundation.

The population has rebounded from fewer than 1,000 tortoises in the 19th century, following decades of protection that saw Aldabra designated a strict nature reserve in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. An analysis of tortoise counts from 2018 to 2022 confirms that the population is relatively stable and far exceeds the country’s human population. Conservationists hope that plans to eradicate invasive cats and rats will support further recovery and strengthen the species’ resilience against drought and climate change.