The Galapagos archipelago, located around one thousand kilometers from the Ecuadorian continental coasts, was declared in 1978 as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).

Two of the five tortoises will be monitored during the next 10 years to analyze their new customs, and their adaptation to the new environment, this analysis will be made through radio telemetry equipment placed inside the tortoise shell.Īccording to the Galapagos National Park authorities, the first hours of the integration in their new habitat was successful, as they fed and mobilized in a natural way, reactivating their wild instincts. Before were moved to their habitat all Scientifics registered their data and welfare, the age range of the tortoises was between 70 to 100 years old. Park ranger, Freddy Villalba, in charge of the Breeding Center, mentioned that in this first group, five male tortoises belonging to the “Chelonoidis porter” species were transferred back home. Tortoises returning to their habitat will fulfill their essential role as ecosystem engineers and contribute to the restoration of the environment. Now at days, and thanks to the effort of the GNP, 1200 tortoises that currently live in the Breeding Center are to be relocated in their natural habitats. Washington Tapia, scientific assistant for the Galapagos National Park, explained that when the Breeding Center was created in 1965, inhabitants and local institutions had the tortoises as pets, jeopardizing the existence of the specie. The tortoises were returned to the hill known as “Cerro Gallina” in the western part of the island of Santa Cruz. This was informed by the Galapagos National Park, in charge of the conservation and welfare of the natural habitat of the Islands.

After remaining for a period of 51 years in captivity at “Fausto Llerena Breeding Center”, five male tortoise returned to their natural habitat in the Island of Santa Cruz in the Ecuadorian archipelago of Galapagos.

Pinta giant tortoise scientific name