🍃 A species declared extinct just returned home

For almost two centuries, the Floreana giant tortoise was considered gone forever.

The species disappeared in the 1800s after heavy exploitation by whalers and the introduction of invasive animals that disrupted the island’s fragile ecosystem.

For generations, Floreana Island in Ecudor existed without one of its most important inhabitants.

Then an unexpected discovery changed everything.

Around the year 2000, scientists identified tortoises on a neighbouring island that carried genetic traces of the lost Floreana lineage. 

That discovery sparked a long-term conservation effort, where researchers carefully bred tortoises to restore as much of the original genetic line as possible.

This year, that work reached a remarkable milestone.

158 giant tortoises were reintroduced to Floreana Island, which had first been cleared of invasive species such as goats and rats.

Their return is about far more than restoring a single animal.

Giant tortoises are considered ecosystem engineers. As they move across the island, they disperse seeds, shape vegetation, and create habitats that many other species rely on.

In other words, bringing them back helps the entire ecosystem start functioning again.

It’s a powerful reminder that recovery often begins with restoring the right pieces of the system.

When the foundations return, nature, much like resilient organisations, often knows how to rebuild itself.

Source: A Galapagos giant returned home after 200 years 

Best,

Jasper