"Lonesome George's legacy will be an increased effort in both research and management to restore his island of Pinta and all of the other giant tortoise populations of Galapagos," it said.
The Galapagos Islands, situated about 1000km off Ecuador's coast, are considered a haven for tortoises.
There are about 20,000 giant tortoises left in the Galapagos, according to the park's website. They are believed to be able to live up to the age of 200.
The Galapagos gained fame when Charles Darwin visited in 1835 to conduct landmark research that led to his revolutionary theories on evolution.
The archipelago has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978 for the rich plant and animal life found both on its land and in the surrounding sea.
In 2007, the organisation declared the island chain's environment endangered due to the increase of tourism and the introduction of invasive species.
June 25, 2012: Galapagos tortoise Lonesome George, last in subspecies, dies
Things you didn't know about Charles Darwin
GeorgeLonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island giant tortoises and a symbol of human destruction of the Galapagos Islands, died on Sunday, cause unknown.
No comments:
Post a Comment