Overview
- Park rangers hauled the 8- to 13-year-old tortoises in crates across about seven kilometers of rough terrain after quarantine and microchipping.
- The reintroduction follows genetic studies in the early 2000s that found Floreana ancestry in tortoises near Wolf Volcano on Isabela, which became the breeding stock.
- The Floreana giant tortoise was wiped out on the island in the 19th century after exploitation by sailors and the arrival of invasive mammals.
- Conservation groups including the Galápagos National Park, Jocotoco, the Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galápagos Conservancy coordinated the multi-year program.
- Managers expect the tortoises to restore key ecological functions such as seed dispersal, though invasive plants and mammals on Floreana remain significant hurdles.