Conservationists Release 136 Young Galápagos Tortoises into the Wild
(Director of Conservation, Jorge Carrión, releasing tortoises – Galápagos Conservatory, 2024)
Early this year, The Galápagos Conservancy was able to successfully airlift 136 young tortoises to the volcanic terrain on Isabela Island – their only natural habitat on Earth. The tortoises were between the ages of 5 and 9, having been raised by a breeding center on the island that had monitored their development from birth.
Prior to their release, the tortoises had been quarantined to ensure they held the optimal requirements for adapting to the wild. This included being dewormed, analyzed for health, and tagged with a microchip marked for identification. After this process was complete, they were airlifted via a helicopter paid through public donations, a favored option over transportation by sea and hiking several kilometers of land (which would have taken multiple journeys). Now that they have been settled, they can enjoy their lives in their natural habitat – a life that can extend beyond 100 years on average.
This project (including those similar to it) plays a crucial role in the island’s existence, as it restores the ecological balance of the Galápagos Island chain in South America. These herbivorous tortoises specifically aid in the shaping of the landscape and increasing the genetic diversity of plants through the dispersal of seeds as they spread across the area. In doing so, the increased number of animals not only prevented their own potential extinction, but had a knock-on effect on the plants they eat.
The Director of Conservation, Jorge Carrión, when commenting on the event explained that while it was “a crucial milestone in our conservation mission in Galápagos”, they still needed to “remain vigilant because this species is under threat from invasive species. Therefore, we will continue to closely monitor the situation”.
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