Photo from http://www.egyptindependent.com
I’m sure you’ve all heard that Lonesome George, the Pinta Island giant tortoise thought to be the last of his subspecies, died Sunday in his Galápagos Island home. He was over 100 years old, scientists estimate, which is middle-aged for a tortoise whose species has been known to live to up to 200 years old.
Lonesome George was discovered in the wild in 1972, and since, has become a famous international symbol of conservation. Scientists tried to find a suitable female of related subspecies to mate with George and though two of them eventually produced eggs, none hatched. Losing an entire species or subspecies is always a haunting reminder of the perils many endangered species on our planet face. In honor of the loss to our planet and in remembrance of Lonesome George maybe consider donating to causes that help the species who are in danger of joining his plight. Consider donating to our cause or if not ours some of these fabulous other causes:
ODFW’s Oregon Conservation Strategy and Oregon Nearshore Strategy
-Meg
