These ‘vigorous little tortoises’ are the future of their species on the Galapagos Islands

For the first time in more than 180 years, giant tortoises are roaming the island of Floriana in Ecuador’s Galapagos archipelago.

Last week, scientists and local park rangers released 158 juvenile hybrids on the Galapagos Islands — It was once home to an estimated 20,000 giant tortoises — Thanks to a captive “back breeding” program that started in 2017. Whalers, a devastating fire, and relentless human exploitation drove the Floriana tortoise to extinction on the southernmost island of the archipelago in the 1840s.

For conservation biologist James Gibbs, the moment felt like watching your babies take their first steps.

“They are very energetic little tortoises, who are eager to get out of their containers… and immediately start exploring their new homes,” said Gibbs, vice president of science and conservation at the Galapagos Conservancy. as it happens host Nil Koksal.

The young turtles, which Gibbs says will grow to 600 pounds over the next 10 to 20 years, are among a total of 700 planned to be gradually released in Floriana. According to Cristina Sevilla, director of ecosystems of the Galapagos National Park, juveniles carry between 40 percent and 80 percent of the genetic makeup. Chelonoidis niger — Extinct Floriana species.

“From a genetic point of view, it is important to reintroduce a species to that island with a significant genetic component of the original species,” biologist Washington Tapia told the Associated Press.

Tapia, a researcher and director of Biodiversa-Consultores — A firm specializing in the Galapagos Islands — Emphasizing that this initiative is about more than just increasing numbers, but also about rebuilding lost lineages.

hope 158 new people — eight to 13 years old and weighing between 30 and 50 pounds — will help restore the island’s depleted ecosystem over time, especially considering that their lifespan can exceed a century.

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You could say the release was a labor of love. Gibbs says he and other park rangers carried the heavy teenagers on their backs, traversing the slopes of the volcanic island in extreme heat to safe release sites, where they opened boxes and watched the turtles wander through the wild.

“We … have divided the 158 into two groups, one of 50 to go to the drier area in the lower part of the island and another larger group of 108 to go to the highlands with a little moisture,” Gibbs said, adding that he expects many will eventually move to highland farms, where the foliage is richer and water sources are more abundant.

The newcomers now share Floreana Island with about 200 people, as well as flamingos, iguanas, penguins, gulls and hawks. They must also battle non-native species introduced by humans – rats, cats, pigs and donkeys – as well as plants such as blackberries and guavas, which pose potential threats to the island’s newest inhabitants.

“They are big enough to be released and they can defend themselves against animals like rats and cats,” said Freddy Villalba, director of the Galapagos National Park breeding center on Santa Cruz Island.

Even though he has left his charges behind, Gibbs says the team will still keep an eye on him. Small GPS trackers are fitted to each turtle, allowing researchers to monitor their movements in real time.

“We are watching them every hour and seeing that they are all going out together in pairs and trios,” he said. “These tags will last about 10 years… If any of them stop moving, we’ll go out and check on them… But we’re quietly monitoring them and seeing that they’re settling into their new home quite well — Or the old house.”