Galapagos tortoises were hunted by pirates for food and went extinct on Floreana Island; after 180 years, conservationists brought them back to their ancestral home |
The story of the Galápagos giant tortoise is one of exploitation, extinction and an extraordinary conservation comeback. Pirates, whalers and other sailors once collected the slow-moving animals from the islands as a reliable source of fresh meat, taking advantage of their ability to survive for months without food or water. On Floreana Island, relentless hunting,…
