Lonesome George, last-of-its-kind Galapagos tortoise, dies Event

Lonesome George war die letzte bekannte Galápagos-Riesenschildkröte der Unterart Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni. Er stammte von der Insel Pinta der Galápagos-Inseln und war bis zu seinem Tod in der Forschungsstation der Charles Darwin Foundation untergebracht. Lonesome George wurde ca. 100 Jahre alt und wog etwa 90 kg. Er starb am 24. Juni 2012.

On 24 June 2012, Lonesome George, the sole remaining Pinta Island tortoise and Galapagos conservation icon, was found dead in his corral at the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service. Lonesome George was found on Pinta Island in 1972, although Pinta tortoises were thought to be extinct. Since then, Lonesome George has been part of the Tortoise Program of the Galapagos National Park Service. Over the years, various efforts were made to get George to reproduce.