Lonesome George, 100 Year Old Giant Galapogos Tortoise
Lonesome George, 100 Year Old Giant Galapogos Tortoise
This practice causes many animal populations to become victims, as happened on the Galapogos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
At the end of the 18th century until the 19th century, when world exploration was at its peak, hungry sailors would exploit the animals where they stopped for food.
One of the species that fell victim was the giant turtle. A typical animal from this region which was finally declared extinct in 2012. The turtle, nicknamed Lonesome George, managed to live for around 100 years.
Quoting the Galapagos Conservancy page, George is the last Pinta tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni) known to have survived hunting in the 1800s. Therefore, it is considered to be one of the rarest creatures in the world.
Was declared extinct in the early 20th century
Initially George was said to have become extinct at the beginning of the 20th century until finally a Hungarian scientist saw him in 1971. He was Jozsef Vagvolgyi, who at that time was studying snails in Pinta.
Vagvolgyi finally described his observations at the port. In the spring of 1972, Galapagos National Park rangers took George to the Tortoise Center in Santa Cruz, California, United States for protection.
With George's discovery, the Galapagos National Park hopes that another female Pinta tortoise can be found, become George's mate, and breed to continue the species. However, after extensive searches and genetic analysis in nature or zoos, none were found.
For this reason, the American media began calling the turtle Lonesome George. Its name is taken from George Gobel, a comedian who had a similar nickname until he died.
Even though he was lonely, George's health condition was known to be relatively good during his lifetime. Unlike other turtles, he had problems with being overweight. In the late 1980s, his life was monitored by veterinarians and nutritionists periodically because he had to go on a diet.
Officially Extinct in 2012
Receiving attention, George lives at the Turtle Breeding and Maintenance Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, California, United States. He has a new cage with a nesting place and is accompanied by two females.
The two are tortoises from the Wolf Volcano north of Isabela, which is also in the Galapagos Islands region, and the Espanola tortoise. Even though he was placed in one cage, George still did not produce offspring.
Until finally in the early hours of Sunday, June 24 2012, George was found dead in his own cage by Fausto Llerna, his caretaker. The possible cause of death is unknown until a necropsy (dissection on a dead animal) is completed.
Photo : pexel.com
Music : mixkit.co