Surprise! Giant Tortoise Thought Extinct for Over 100 Years Found Alive

A living member of a tortoise species feared to be extinct – as it was not seen in 113 years – was finally found in Ecuador’s Galápagos island of Fernandina in 2019, giving a glimpse of hope in recovering the critically endangered animal.

According to the environment ministry, the Ferandina giant tortoise was found during an expedition by the Galápagos National Park and the US-based Galapagos Conservancy, and the only other living member was found back in 1906. Investigators suspect there are more members on the island because of tracks and faeces spotted.

The expeditioners took the adult female, likely over 100 years of age, to a breeding center for giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island with the hope of repopulating the species. A professor of conservation ecology at Duke University, Stuart Pimm, explains that there still stands a chance for the Ferandina giant tortoise, as “females may store sperm for a long time”.