Currently, many parks and reserves are opening around the world, the purpose of which is to save the rapidly declining species. Unfortunately, scientists do not always succeed in this. For example, on June 24, 2012, the last Abingdon elephant turtle died.
The elephant or Galapagos turtles were described by Charles Darwin himself during his famous voyage on the Beagle. Currently, this species of turtles is considered the largest. The mass of an adult can reach four hundred kilograms, and the length is one meter and eight hundred centimeters. In total, fifteen subspecies of these amazing animals were known, but now there are only ten of them left.
The number of elephant turtles began to decline rapidly after the discovery of the Galapagos Islands by Europeans. The unfortunate amphibians were used by sailors as live canned food. Hundreds of them were thrown into the holds of ships, where the turtles could survive for months without food or drink. Naturally, the meat did not spoil, which was extremely convenient on long voyages.
By the middle of the 20th century, the Galapagos turtles completely disappeared from some islands, while several hundred individuals remained on others. The Abingdon elephant turtle was considered extinct, but in 1973, on a small island in the northern part of the archipelago, a scientist found one individual of this subspecies. The turtle was named Lonely George, after actor George Gobel, and was housed in a paddock at the Darwin Research Station.
For several decades, scientists have been trying to get offspring from George. Since the female of its subspecies did not exist in nature, zoologists found a hybrid turtle that had a relative of the desired species on the paternal side. Fertilization took place, but soon all the embryos died.
Lonely George has lived at the research station for over forty years. It has become a symbol of conservation in the Galapagos Islands. Many celebrities have come to see the unique turtle, including Prince Charles, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. However, on the morning of June 24, 2012, George was found dead in his aviary. Without leaving offspring, he became the last representative of his subspecies on earth. The reptile's body will be embalmed and donated to a local museum so that future generations can have an idea of the Abingdon elephant turtles.
