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• Animals of the Galapagos islands

After 36 years of continual and exhaustive efforts, when it seemed impossible that the tortoise called “Lonesome George” – the last survivor of the Pinta Island giant tortoise species (Geochelone abigdoni) – would be able to reproduce, this morning park rangers in charge of the “Fausto Llerena” Captive Breeding Center found a nest with eggs laid last night by one of the two Wolf Volcano females that have shared a pen with him since 1993.

In 1972, George was found during a hunt for wild goats on Pinta Island and taken to the Galapagos National Park’s Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Center. Back then, there was hope he would reproduce and that the island could be repopulated with this giant tortoise species. That task, however, turned out to be fruitless, since the last of the Geochelone abigdoni showed no interest whatsoever in reproducing, despite being penned up with females from several different species....