Giant Tortoises Return to Galápagos' Floreana Island Nearly 150 Years After Local Extinction

In a momentous chapter for conservation, dozens of juvenile giant tortoises lumbered onto the volcanic soil of Floreana Island on February 20, 2026 — the first of their kind to walk the Galápagos island in nearly a century and a half. The original Floreana tortoise population was hunted to extinction by whalers, pirates, and early settlers in the 19th century.

The released tortoises are hybrids, bred from animals found on other Galápagos islands that carry partial Floreana tortoise DNA. Scientists discovered in the 2000s that some tortoises on Isabela Island's Wolf Volcano — likely transported there by sailors centuries ago — carried genetic signatures of the supposedly extinct Floreana species. This remarkable discovery opened the door to a breeding program aimed at reconstructing the lost population.

“The original Floreana tortoise population was hunted to extinction by whalers, pirates, and early settlers in the 19th century.”

The Galápagos National Park, working with the Galápagos Conservancy and international partners, carefully selected and bred individuals with the highest percentage of Floreana ancestry. The juvenile tortoises were raised in controlled environments until they reached a size large enough to survive predation by invasive rats and other threats.

Giant tortoises are keystone species in the Galápagos ecosystem, playing a critical role as ecosystem engineers. Their grazing habits shape vegetation patterns, their movement creates pathways through dense brush, and their droppings disperse seeds across the landscape. The absence of tortoises on Floreana for over a century has measurably altered the island's ecology.

By returning tortoises to Floreana, conservationists hope to restore these ecological processes and catalyze a broader recovery of the island's native habitat. The project is part of a comprehensive plan that also includes the removal of invasive species and the restoration of native plant communities.

The release represents one of the most ambitious rewilding efforts in the Galápagos Islands' history and stands as a powerful symbol of what's possible when science, dedication, and international cooperation converge to repair ecological damage.