Giant tortoise who helped save species retires in Galapagos Islands


Jan 15, 2020

This centenarian is finally retiring.

Diego, a tortoise more than 100 years old, is credited with helping to restore the tortoise population in the Galapagos Islands, where a 40-year breeding program on Española Island has just wrapped up.

The Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, led by the Galapagos National Park Directorate and the Galapagos Conservancy, began in 1965 with the aim of repopulating the islands’ threatened tortoise species. At the time, only 14 tortoises — two males and 12 females — lived on Española Island.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-...lands-n1115701