Lonesome George

Lonesome George in the American Museum of Natural History ©JargaPix Photography

Lonesome George was discovered on the island of Pinta and taken into captivity in 1972. At the time, his species was thought to be extinct so hopes were placed on George to bring the Pinta tortoise back from the brink of extinction. For forty years, attempts were made to get George to breed, but these attempts ultimately proved unsuccessful. As the last of his subspecies, George became a conservation icon – a symbol for Galapagos. George passed away on 24 June 2012 aged approximately 100.

For further information you can visit:

Glossary of Galapagos