Lonesome George

In the days of buccaneers and pirates Isla Pinta was a popular stop. The island located in the north of the archipelago was once home to thousands of tortoises. These sea-faring men cherished the tortoises as a valuable source of meat. Tortoises could remain alive in a ship hold for up to a year at sea with little food or other necessities. The sailors would gather as many of the tortoises as the ship could hold.

First the female tortoises were collected, their smaller size made them easier to handle and store. They were also easier to collect, especially during egg laying season, when the females would be on the beach to lay their eggs. As the female population grew thin, the males too were collected. Over the years the tortoise population on Pinta diminished.

By 1906 when the California Academy of Sciences visited Pinta for a scientific research project they discovered the tortoise population had diminished to a mere 3 male tortoises. The scientists collected the tortoises, and thought the island to be barren of the native tortoise.

Years passed and during the 1950's fishermen working the nearby waters wanted to use the islands to restock their meat supply while at sea. Since tortoises were no longer available they needed another readily available source of food. They released feral goats, which quickly multiplied and took over the island devouring the little island vegetation that existed. Over the next few decades the goats flourished and multiplied.

In 1971 when the National Park Service arrived at Pinta the goats had come to dominate the island. The Park Service made the decision to attempt to restore the natural balance to Pinta by eradicating the goats. While the park service didn't find and eradicate all the goats they did find the unthinkable one remaining Pinta Tortoise. He was named "Lonesome George", lonesome because he is the last of his subspecies.

The Park Service moved 'George' to the Darwin Station where they have made every effort to encourage him to breed with female tortoises from Wolf Volcano on Isabela (Wolf Tortoises were found to be the closest morphologically to the Pinta Tortoises). Yet over the past nearly 30 years of trying, no new tortoises have been born.

The Galapagos National Park Service and Charles Darwin Foundation are working together to raise money, in order to finish eradicating the goats on Pinta and to search the island to see if a mate might possibly exist. We hope that a mate can be found and the Pinta Tortoises may continue.