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109 results for "galapagos tortoises"
After nearly 150 years of absence, giant tortoises are back on Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Ecuador just released 158 young tortoises as the first wave of a bold plan to restore an ecosystem shaped by these gentle giants.
Scientists eliminated invasive goats from the Galápagos Islands using helicopters and GPS-collared "Judas goats," saving the iconic giant tortoises from extinction. The radical 9-year project restored entire ecosystems and gave 15,000 tortoises a second chance at survival.
For the first time since the 1840s, giant tortoises are walking on Floreana Island in the Galápagos. Scientists brought back a species thought lost forever by finding their descendants living 100 miles away.
Giant tortoises once thought lost forever just returned to their Galápagos island home, marking the end of a 26-year conservation quest. The 158 animals released last week will help restore an entire ecosystem that's been missing its keystone species since the 1840s.
Giant tortoises are back on Ecuador's Floreana Island after vanishing 150 years ago, marking a major win for conservation. The 158 young tortoises carry up to 80% of the extinct species' DNA and will help restore the island's ecosystem.
After nearly two centuries of extinction on Floreana Island, giant tortoises are roaming free again thanks to an incredible conservation comeback. Their return marks a major win for one of the world's most ambitious ecosystem recovery projects.
The Floreana giant tortoise is walking its ancestral island again after whalers drove the species to extinction in the 1840s. Scientists brought back 158 juveniles through an innovative "back breeding" program using descendants discovered on a distant volcano.
Gramma, a Galapagos tortoise born in 1884, spent over a century at the San Diego Zoo as part of a conservation effort that helped her species rebound from just 15 individuals to over 2,000 today. Her remarkable story shows how sometimes removing an animal from the wild is the key to saving it.
In India's remote Nagaland state, communities that once hunted Asia's largest tortoise now serve as its dedicated guardians. A breeding program that started with just 13 rescued tortoises has produced 114 babies, half the species' entire wild population.
The world's oldest known tortoise didn't die after all. Jonathan, the 193-year-old giant tortoise living on St. Helena island, is alive and well after a social media hoax fooled major news outlets.
A community in India that once hunted critically endangered Asian giant tortoises for meat now protects them as "our children." Ten captive-bred tortoises just returned to the wild after villagers helped save the species.
Spurred tortoises at a Hungarian zoo received spa-day treatment complete with gentle baths and health checks. The wellness program helps protect a vulnerable species threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
A wildlife park in Suffolk just welcomed a tiny visitor who could help save her entire species. The baby pancake tortoise is only the latest success in a breeding program protecting one of the world's most threatened reptiles.
A 4-year-old giant tortoise with a shattered shell is walking again thanks to a veterinarian's ingenious custom contraption. The Filipino vet used hooks, wires, and dental acrylic to piece the broken carapace back together.
A TikToker checking dumpsters for pet supplies to donate made a shocking discovery: a baby tortoise left to die in 103-degree heat. Now the rescued hatchling has a forever home and a very dedicated mom.
A critically endangered waved albatross shocked scientists when it appeared off the California coast, thousands of miles from its Galapagos home. The majestic seabird's unexpected journey has researchers wondering if it's a lone wanderer or a sign of changing ocean patterns.
A birdwatcher's quest to find the world's rarest gull ended in surprising success on the Galápagos Islands, where fewer than a thousand lava gulls exist. Despite their scarcity, these unique seabirds maintain a stable population, offering hope for wildlife conservation.
Scientists discovered an adorable new octopus species the size of a golf ball living nearly a mile below the ocean's surface near the Galápagos Islands. The tiny blue creature had researchers cooing over their cameras when they spotted it in 2015.
A wooden barrel on a remote Galapagos island has been delivering mail for over two centuries without stamps, postal workers, or any official system. Travelers hand-deliver postcards to strangers worldwide, creating unexpected friendships along the way.
Scientists discovered a tiny blue octopus the size of a golf ball near the Galapagos Islands, marking the first new octopus species described by researcher Janet Voight in her 40-year career. The creature was found nearly 6,000 feet below the surface in waters that remain largely unexplored.
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