Body of tortoise 'Lonesome George' returned to Galapagos Islands
The embalmed body of the giant tortoise
Quito - AFP
The embalmed body of the giant tortoise known as Lonesome George — the last known member of a species that was wiped out with his death in 2012 — returned home to the Ecuadoran Galapagos Islands.
The body arrived in Puerto Ayora, the capital of the archipelago’s Santa Cruz Island, on an Ecuadoran military plane after undergoing taxidermy work at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, the Galapagos National Park said.
The giant tortoise — thought to be around a century old when he died in June 2012 — was the last known member of the subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni.
He failed to reproduce despite a decades long conservation effort that earned him the moniker “Lonesome George.”
His body will go on display at the park starting February 23, after having starred in an exhibition at the New York museum from September 2014-January 2015.
The Pacific island chain is famous for its unique flora and fauna studied by Charles Darwin as he developed his theory of evolution.
Of the 15 species of giant tortoise known to have originated in the Galapagos, three, including George’s, have gone extinct — victims of plundering 18th-century pirates who damaged the islands’ fragile ecosystem.
source: AFP
- Thursday ,18 January GMT 14:00 2018 Critically endangered Sumatran elephant gives birth in Indonesia
GMT 15:18 2018 Friday ,19 January
Giant pandas arrive in Finland in Chinese charm offensiveGMT 14:00 2018 Thursday ,18 January
Critically endangered Sumatran elephant gives birth in IndonesiaGMT 13:29 2018 Friday ,12 January
Campaigners slam UK plans on cutting plastic wasteGMT 16:33 2018 Thursday ,11 January
Global warming will expose millions more to floodsGMT 11:26 2017 Thursday ,30 November
Turkish police move to arrest 333 soldiers over Gulen linksGMT 11:45 2017 Saturday ,06 May
Poland EU row over ancient forest heats upGMT 11:10 2017 Friday ,05 May
Bangladesh coal plant could cause 6,000 early deathsGMT 19:01 2017 Monday ,01 May
Cities brace for climate challengesRussia tests new telemetry system during manned Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft’s launch
Moscow - TASS
The Astra-06 apparatus developed by specialists of Russian Space Systems (RSS) was used for the first time as additional telemetric equipment aboard the manned Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft launc...Read More
GMT 18:25 2016 Wednesday ,16 March
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation hails co-operation and partnership ties with EU
GMT 10:04 2019 Monday ,19 August
Live a tense and noisy atmosphere
GMT 08:45 2017 Saturday ,15 April
Foreign Minister Receives WTO Delegation
GMT 17:56 2018 Sunday ,25 November
Amman stock market wraps up trading at JD2.6 million
GMT 08:14 2017 Saturday ,12 August
Belgium's giant omelette festival aims
GMT 13:42 2017 Sunday ,17 December
26 dead from landslides after Philippine storm
GMT 05:32 2017 Saturday ,29 April
Al Faisaliah voted ‘Best Business Hotel in Riyadh’
GMT 15:53 2016 Sunday ,22 May
PEX Report: Index Down at start of week trading
GMT 16:59 2017 Wednesday ,22 March
UAE v Japan: Mahdi Ali has selection headaches ahead of 2018 World Cup qualifier
GMT 12:39 2015 Sunday ,18 October
Surgery made me feel connected to other women
GMT 12:56 2017 Thursday ,23 November
UAE Inaugurates Digital Archaeology Exhibition
GMT 07:27 2019 Tuesday ,20 August
Think of a new strategy and give you a variety of possibilities
GMT 18:56 2014 Tuesday ,15 April
Gambia bans flights from Ebola-hit nations
GMT 04:03 2017 Tuesday ,09 May
’Baahubali 2’ becomes India’s highest-grossing movie
GMT 08:35 2018 Saturday ,20 January
Amazon's indigenous people 'never so threatened': pope
GMT 09:09 2017 Thursday ,21 September
Kagawa leads Dortmund 'fire engine' back
GMT 13:18 2013 Saturday ,13 July
Surya Brasil launches treatments for dyed and damaged hair
GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,05 March
UAE insurance snag for electric vehicles over repairs
GMT 13:20 2017 Monday ,14 August
53 ships transit Suez Canal
GMT 22:46 2016 Sunday ,10 April
Strong earthquake hits Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, casualty not reported yet
GMT 14:47 2018 Monday ,19 November
Terrorists’ infiltration attempts towards military posts in Hama Countryside foiled
GMT 11:05 2018 Sunday ,28 October
US builds up arsenals in Europe to deter Russia
GMT 12:50 2018 Wednesday ,19 September
Huawei sees over 100% growth in UAE smartphone sales
GMT 09:43 2017 Saturday ,08 July
Abbas offers condolences to Sisi over victims of Rafah terror attack
GMT 21:06 2017 Wednesday ,26 July
German army helicopter crashes in Mali
GMT 18:26 2017 Wednesday ,08 February
Shoukry due in Jordan to convey Sisi's message to monarch
GMT 04:15 2017 Monday ,08 May
Mercenaries killed in Jawf
GMT 12:31 2015 Sunday ,18 January
INU, the smart, high-end electric scooter
GMT 11:46 2017 Wednesday ,01 March
NBAD given green light to expand euro note programme
GMT 18:30 2016 Tuesday ,06 December
Hilton Worldwide introduces Laureate Jeddah College students to hospitality careers
GMT 14:14 2016 Friday ,23 December
Russia loses sporting events as federations act
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor