Overview
- the Environment Ministry confirmed the reintroduction by scientists and park rangers, with some reports citing 158 animals.
- The tortoises came from the Galápagos National Park breeding centre, selected from Isabela stock with genetic profiles close to the extinct Floreana lineage.
- Each tortoise completed extended quarantine and received an electronic microchip for identification before transport to the island.
- Rangers hauled the crated reptiles roughly seven kilometres across volcanic, hard-to-access terrain to designated release sites.
- The release forms part of a long-term restoration program on Floreana that includes a 2023 biodiversity lab and conservation financing tied to Ecuador’s debt-for-nature deal.