End of a Species - Lonesome George

Lonesome George with our Naturalist Guide

 Rest In Peace 

Lonesome George

Early Sunday morning, Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise, was found dead in his corral at the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service.  His exact age was unknown, but he was believed to be more than 100 years old.

A member of one of eleven subspecies of Galapagos tortoise native to the Galapagos Islands, he had been labelled the rarest creature in the world, and was a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally.

Not so Lonesome

Lonesome George was found on Pinta in 1972 although Pinta tortoises were thought to be extinct. Since then, Lonesome George has been part of the Tortoise Program of the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS). Various efforts were made to get George to reproduce. Two female tortoises collected on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island) were put in Lonesome George’s corral. These females produced eggs at the end of 15 years with Lonesome George. Unfortunately all of the eggs were infertile. Later two females from the Espanola tortoise population (the species most closely related to Pinta tortoises genetically) were with George until the end.   

A visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora was not complete without stopping by Lonesome George's corral to see him drinking from his favorite watering hole or simply just lounging around.  We were fortunate to see him a few years ago when we were on Celebrity Xpedition in Galapagos.   George didn't mind having people checking him out, and would pose for photos with his guests.

A New Beginning

The cause of Lonesome George's death won't be known until a necropsy is completed.   He is being kept in a cold chamber to avoid decomposition prior to the necropsy.

His legacy will live on.  Following Lonesome George's death, Edwin Naula, Director of the GNPS, stated, “This July, the GNPS is convening an international workshop to focus on management strategies for the restoration of tortoise populations during the next ten years. The workshop will be held in honor of Lonesome George.“

Restoration of Lonesome George's island of Pinta as well as the other islands in the Galapagos archipelago will keep him in our minds for generations to come.    

Related Blog Posts:

Hope for Lonesome George
Galapagos - Charles Darwin Research Center (Day 9)

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Hope for Lonesome George

Could "Extinct" Race of Tortoise be Reborn?

Lonesome George is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise, one of eleven subspecies of Galapagos tortoise native to the Galapagos Islands. He has been labelled the rarest creature in the world, and is a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally. It is thought that he was named after a character played by American actor George Gobel.

Scientific Discovery
Reported Today

For more than 150 years, the lost species of giant tortoise, called Chelonoidis elephantopus, was thought to have been extinct.   Scientists have never given up their search for a mate for Lonesome George, but things had looked pretty grim until a recent discovery which was published today in the journal Current Biology.

The scientists analyzed the genome of a closely related species, Chelonoidis becki, which lives on Isabela Island, the largest of the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The island lies about 200 miles (322 kilometers) from Floreana Island, where C. elephantopus was last spotted before disappearing, likely due to hunting by whalers, some 150 years ago.

The two species of gigantic tortoise, both living in the Galápagos Islands (famously studied by Charles Darwin), have different shaped shells. The shells of C. elephantopus on Floreana Island were saddle-shaped while tortoises on other islands, including C. becki, had domed-shaped shells. These giant tortoises can weigh nearly 900 pounds (408 kilograms) and reach almost 6 feet(1.8 meters) in length.


Researchers have discovered tortoise that had shells shaped more like the saddle-shaped variety and after further research have identified that there is a hybrid race of offspring.  They found that 84 of the tortoises had genetic indicators that one of their parents was a C. elephantopus, 30 of which were less than 15 years of age. Given the 100-year lifespan of the tortoises the researchers say there is a good chance that their C. elephantopus parent would still be alive.

If this hidden tortoise population can be located, scientists can establish a breeding program and regenerate the race.   Perhaps Lonesome George won't be lonesome forever.

Cruising the Galapagos Islands is one of the most amazing cruises we've ever taken.   We walked where Charles Darwin studied, saw unique species which can only be found on those islands, and saw Lonesome George and other Galapagos Tortoise of all ages.

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Galapagos - Charles Darwin Research Center (Day 9)

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Day 9 (Saturday, Sept. 6th) finds the Celebrity Xpedition anchored at Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos. It is located on Santa Cruz Island, the second-largest island in the Galapagos and hub for tourists.

 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation

 In 1959 (the centenary year of Darwin's publication "The Origin of the Species"), the Ecuadorian government declared all the islands, except areas already colonized, as a national park. In the same year, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) was founded with a primary objective of ensuring the conservation of the unique Galapagos ecosystems and to promote the scientific studies necessary to fulfill its conservation functions.

We took a short bus ride through the small town of Port Ayora, arriving at the entrance of the Charles Darwin Research Station. It was quite a walk to the actual start of the research station from where the bus dropped us off. The path was patio blocks at first but then changed to a dirt trail. We were concerned because one of the passengers in our group was on crutches and we didn't think she'd be able to make the walk. We were happy to see her waiting for us at the end of the path - there is
vehicle access for handicapped and official vehicles.
 
One of the naturalists took us inside the tortoise conservation building where we saw displays on tortoise exploitation, conservation, and ecology. She also explained the captive breeding program which began in 1962. Since that time many tortoises have been repatriated to their original islands. Wardens of the Galapagos National Park Service collect eggs and hatchlings from tortoise nests on Pinzon, Santiago, San Cristobal, and Santa Cruz Islands and bring them to the center for protection and rearing.

Eggs from the nests of Espanola tortoises at the center are also gathered. Eggs are placed in incubators. The hatching process usually takes about 3 days. After an incubation of about 4 months, a tortoise finally breaks free of its eggshell. A yolk sac attached to its stomach provides nourishment to the hatchling in its first few weeks of life. Upon emerging from the egg, hatchlings are kept in dark boxes for two to four weeks, which simulates the time spent in the natural nest chamber. Each tortoise is given a colored identification number. The colors represent each tortoise's "home island". Baby tortoises are weighted, and measured for length and girth. The hatchlings are then moved to outdoor corrals, where they live and grow for up to two years. You can see these corrals in the photos above.

  Lonesome George - rarest creature in the world Lonesome George is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise, one of eleven subspecies of Galapagos tortoise native to the Galapagos Islands. He has been labelled the rarest creature in the world, and is a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galapagos and internationally. It is thought that he was named after a character played by American actor George Gobel.

 George was first seen on the island of Pinta on 1 December 1971 by American snail biologist Joseph Vagvolgyi. The island's vegetation had been decimated by introduced feral goats, and the indigenous tortoise population had been reduced to a single individual. He was relocated for his safety to the Charles Darwin Research Station. George is estimated to be 60–90 years of age, and is in good health, however efforts to get him to mate with two females of a different subspecies from Wolf Island have failed. Research continues to date, and it is hoped that a pure Pinta tortoise lives among the 2,000 tortoises on Isabela. Will George's subspecies become extinct? Hopefully not, but regardless of what happens to this one animal, let him always remind us that the fate of all living things on Earth is in human hands.

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Diary of Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

 

A Land Beyond Xpectations

Over one hundred fifty years ago, a man wrote about his quest that took him to a place where he would discover how life evolved thousands of years ago.  Travel with us as we follow in his footsteps and discover a land that is inhabited by species that can be found nowhere else on earth.

Come with us on our Celebrity Xpeditions adventure that begins in Quito, Ecauador where we had the opportunity to visit local sites including the Equatorial Line Monument.   Here you can stand on a line between the two hemispheres.

Our ultimate destination is an archipelago of volcanic islands near the equator in the Pacific Ocean.  We are met by a team of naturalists who transport us by Zodiacs to our waiting ship, Celebrity Xpedition.  

Celebrity Xpedition recently had their license suspended as we had reported (Lobsters Keep Cruise Ship from Entering National Park) and have now resumed sailing (Celebrity Xpedition to Resume Galapagos Sailings).  We are assembling past articles, posting images, and adding new material in this diary so that you can easily follow our complete adventure.   If you have any unanswered questions, we'd be happy to answer them and also help plan your own unforgettable adventure.

	Port	Blog Posts	Photo Albums
	Celebrity Xpeditions	Packing for Galapagos Why Visit Galapagos Galapagos - Onboard Celebrity Xpedition Celebrity Xpedition Food	Celebrity Xpedition
1	Quito, Ecuador	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 1	J W Marriott Quito
2	Quito, Ecuador	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - Quito Old Town Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - El Crater Celebrity Xpedition - Day 2 - Equatorial Line Monument	Quito - Old Town Quito - Lunch Stop Quito - Equator
3	Baltra North Seymour	Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 - Flight to Baltra Galapagos - Day 3 - Welcome Aboard Celebrity Xpedition - Day 3 North Seymour Island	Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos - North Seymour Island
4	Kicker Rock; Puerto Baquerizo Moreno; Española Island	Galapagos - Kicker Rock Galapagos - Puerto Baquerizo Moreno  Galapagos - Day 4 Snorkeling Orientation  Galapagos - Española	Galapagos - Kicker Rock  Galapagos - San Cristobal  Galapagos - Espanola Islands
5	Floreana Island; Cormorant Point - Baroness Lookout	Galapagos - Cormorant Point (Floreana) Galapagos - Baroness Outlook (Floreana)	Galapagos - Cormorant Point Galapagos - Baroness Lookout
6	Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz); Bartolomé Island	Galapagos - Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz) Galapagos - Bartolomé Island (Day 6) Crossing the Line	Galapagos - Bachas Beach Galapagos -Bartolome Islands Crossing the Line Party - Galapagos Cruise (video)
7	Urbina Bay (Isabela);  Espinoza Point (Fernandina)	Galapagos - Urbina Bay Galapagos - Fernandina Island (Day 7 Afternoon) Galapagos Surprise - There She Blows	Galapagos - Urbina Bay Galapagos - Dry Landing Fernandina Island Galapagos Fur Seal Pups Playing (video) Galapagos - Scenic Cruising Galapagos - Zodiac Ride Fernandina
8	Santiago Island;  Santa Cruz	Galapagos - Santiago (Day 8 Morning) Galapagos - Santa Cruz (Day 8 Afternoon)	Galapagos - Santiago Island Galapagos - Snorkeling (Santiago) Galapagos - Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz)
9	Santa Cruz; Puerto Ayora	Galapagos - Charles Darwin Research Center (Day 9) Galapagos - Santa Cruz Highlands (Day 9 Afternoon) Galapagos - Final Night on Xpedition	Galapagos National Park Galapagos - Santa Cruz Highlands  Farwell Party - Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos (Video)
10	Baltra to Quito	Celebrity Xpedition - Disembarkation Galapagos - Quito (Day 10)	Xpedition Disembarkation
11	Quito	Galapagos - Mindo Cloud Forest (Day 11) Galapagos - Return Home	El Pahuma Orchid Reserve El Siete Restaurant - Mindo
	Additional Posts	Many Faces of Galapagos Hope for Lonesome George End of a Species - Lonesome George