Lonesome George

Lonesome George was a male Pinta Island tortoise, scientifically known as *Chelonoidis niger abingdonii*.

He lived in the Galápagos Islands and was the last known individual of his subspecies. Because he was the only one left, he was considered the rarest creature in the world. His life became a powerful symbol for global conservation efforts. Conservation is the work people do to protect living species and their habitats.

George’s story shows how important it is to protect animals before they disappear entirely.

George was first discovered on Pinta Island on November 1, 1971. The researcher who found him was a Hungarian malacologist named József Vágvölgyi. At that time, the environment on Pinta Island was in trouble. Feral goats had been introduced to the island and ate much of the vegetation. This loss of plants made it difficult for the native tortoises to survive. The population of *C. n. abingdonii* had been reduced to just this one male. For his safety, George was moved to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island.

He spent the rest of his life there under the care of Fausto Llerena.

Scientists spent many years trying to help George produce offspring to save his lineage. In 2006, researchers at the Darwin Station even offered a $10,000 reward for a suitable mate. From December 2006 until January 2011, George lived with two females of the species *Chelonoidis niger becki*. These females were from the Wolf Volcano region of Isabela Island. Scientists hoped his genotype, or his specific genetic makeup, could be passed down. However, any babies would have been hybrids rather than purebred Pinta Island tortoises.

In July 2008, George successfully mated with one of these females.

Following the mating, researchers collected 13 eggs and placed them in incubators. An incubator is a machine that keeps eggs at the right temperature to help them hatch. By November 11, 2008, the Charles Darwin Foundation reported that 80% of the eggs were inviable. Inviable means the eggs were unable to develop into living organisms. X-rays later confirmed the remaining eggs could not hatch. In 2009, a second clutch of five eggs was laid, and a third batch of six eggs followed. Unfortunately, all of these eggs were also found to be inviable.

George lived a very long life, beginning around 1910. He died on June 24, 2012, at the age of approximately 102. Fausto Llerena, who had cared for him for forty years, found him dead. The Galápagos National Park director, Edwin Naula, suspected cardiac arrest. A necropsy, which is a medical examination of a body after death, confirmed he died of natural causes.

After his death, his body was frozen and sent to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. A taxidermist named George Dante worked with scientists to preserve him for display.

There was a dispute regarding where George's preserved body should be shown. The Ecuadorean government wanted him displayed in the capital city, Quito. However, the local mayor of the Galápagos argued that George was a symbol of the islands and belonged there. On February 17, 2017, the taxidermy was finally flown back to the Galápagos Islands. It is now on display at the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center.

This allows future generations to see the famous tortoise in his home region.

Despite George's death, modern science offers new hope for his subspecies. In 2012, researchers found 17 tortoises that were partially descended from his species. In 2015, scientists discovered a subspecies called *Chelonoidis niger donfaustoi*. This group had a 90% DNA match to the Pinta Island tortoise. This discovery suggests that scientists might be able to use genetics to help the species return.

In 2018, researchers even sequenced George's genome to study how his ancestors evolved. They found that his population had likely been declining for one million years. These studies help us understand how giant tortoises adapt to their environments over very long periods of time.