Galapagos islands is a bunch of island in the Pacific Ocean which is known for the place where Charles Darwin visited in his voyage on the HMS Beagle. I am sure that you already know this but what you probably don't know is the fact that Galapagos island is also known for their giant tortoises.
Galapagos giant tortoises is the largest living species of tortoises. These species have many subspecies, one of them is Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii which is called Pinta Giant Tortoises that live in Pinta / Abingdon island.
Galapagos tortoises is a rare species that live long before us. It is poached and slaughter because of the fact that these guys can live without water or food for a year so people start to take them from the islands. Black rats (which introduced by humans to the Galapagos islands) is also a cause for the extinction as a predator of the egg and baby tortoises. So the Pinta tortoises was assumed extinct until they discovered that there is one male species left in 1971.
He is called Lonesome George. Yes that is his name alright and it is true he is all alone. Many biologist had tried to save the species but George never reproduce or find a mate suitable until he died in 2012. Now we still can see the preserved Lonesome George in the American Museum of Natural History as a reminder for us, humans, to do something to save other species of tortoises. Over the years, tortoises has become more and more endangered and can extinct any moment.
But thanks to the Galapagos conservationist, who terminated most of the black rats since 2012 on a on going project of rat eradication, biologist had found baby tortoises hatching in the Island of Pinzon for the first time in a 100 years! They found six baby tortoises which is not much but actually good enough because baby tortoises is rarely found. So if we found six that means there are more out there. I really think this is a good news for everybody because nature just gave us a second chance to conserve these tortoises so long live tortoises! And kudos to you guys in the Galapagos Conservancy!