Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
54 results for "tortoises"
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The world's oldest land animal is doing just fine, despite a viral April Fools' prank that fooled thousands into thinking the famous tortoise had died. Jonathan, a 193-year-old giant tortoise living on a remote island, continues to defy the odds and capture hearts worldwide.
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.
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.
Thousands of critically endangered radiated tortoises confiscated from illegal wildlife traders are returning to Madagascar's forests thanks to a groundbreaking partnership. Zoo Atlanta's conservation medicine program is helping ensure these stunning rescued animals stay healthy before and after their release back home.
Scientists in South Africa discovered the first known fossil tracks of hamerkop birds and giant tortoises on the Cape coast. These ancient footprints reveal a thriving ecosystem that existed up to 130,000 years ago.
Snorkelers exploring an underwater cave in Central Texas discovered bones from lion-sized armadillos and giant tortoises that scientists didn't know lived there during the Ice Age. The find is rewriting what we know about ancient Texas.
Snorkeling scientists in a Texas underwater cave discovered fossils of giant tortoises and armored mammals that never lived in Central Texas before. The surprising find is rewriting what we know about Texas during the Ice Age.
Scientists exploring a Texas cave discovered fossils from a warm period of the last ice age that nobody knew existed in the region. The find includes a lion-sized armadillo and giant tortoise that rewrites what we thought we knew about ancient Texas.
Researchers found a simple light therapy that eliminates pain in small pets without drugs or side effects. The breakthrough could transform care for chinchillas, hamsters, tortoises, and other companion animals.
Showing 20 of 54