WWF Galapagos Tel + 593 (5) 2526 053Ext 117 WWF Programa Regional Amazonas Norte &Chocó Darién [email protected] www.wwf.org.co Oficina Principal Calle 18 de febrero s/n y Piqueros Puerto Ayora – Galápagos

Press Release Immediate Release

Puerto Ayora, June 25, 2012 , the last Pinta giant has died

Lonesome George, the last individual of the giant from in his pen. Photo: David Jimenez‐Henao

Lonesome George, the last individual of the Pinta giant tortoises ( abingdoni) died in his pen at the Breeding Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island on Sunday June 24th.

George was found in 1972 by a group of eager Galapagos National Park (GNP) wardens who were searching earnestly to ascertain whether the whole Pinta population was extinct. Lonesome George was living in a special pen in the “Fausto Llerena Captive Breeding Center” in the GNP headquarters in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.

At the breeding center, GNP, with support from the Charles Darwin Foundation and other national and international scientific institutions were researching for ways to help perpetuate George’s lineage. Unfortunately, to date these efforts had been unsuccessful. George died in the company of two Española females, the genetically most closely‐ related species to the Pinta tortoises. George’s body is being kept under controlled conditions until a necropsy can be performed to identify the cause of his death. George is thought to have been more than 100 years old.

The Galapagos Islands, a province of the Republic of Ecuador, is considered Earth´s natural laboratory of biological sciences. Charles Darwin´s visit to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 changed the course of modern thought. His scientific and natural history observations led Darwin to develop the “Theory of Evolution”, published in 1859. Darwin’s theory was based, among other findings, on the Galapagos Islands finches, mockingbirds and giant land tortoises.

Para mayor información: Verónica Toral Granda – [email protected]– 083514448

The Galapagos Islands straddling the equatorial line, with a mix of tropical and temperate conditions have yielded an unprecedented number of endemic species – species found nowhere else on Earth; George is one such example that was found on one single island. Galapagos hosts a total of 14 giant tortoise species, out of which three are now extinct: (G. nigra), (G. phantastica) and Pinta Island (Geochelone abingdoni). There are two other species (from Rabida and Santa Fe Islands) occasionally listed as extinct; however, the species status has not been confirmed. In Galapagos, giant tortoises were hunted for their meat by pirates and buccaneers in the mid 19thcentury. These long lived were stored as a source of fresh meat during long journeys across the ocean. Recent threats to the Galapagos giant tortoises include predation by feral animals (e.g. Pigs and rats) and trampling from feral goats.

Tortoises can be found in all continents but Antarctica with a vast variety and diversity. To date, there are 11 species of freshwater and tortoises that have gone extinct, 10 out of which have occurred in island ecosystems (e.g. Reunion, Seychelles, Mauritius and Galapagos).

Most populations of the remaining species of Galapagos giant tortoises are in stable condition under constant monitoring by the GNP. As a whole, a limited number of extinctions have occurred in the Galapagos Islands, mainly due to the superb work of the Galapagos National Park over the past 52 years. Current GNP work includes giant tortoise breeding and repatriation programs so as to prevent further extinctions of these magnificent animals.

Notes for the editor WWF WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF has been supporting conservation in the Galapagos Islands since 1961.

In Galapagos, WWF works on three major areas: implementation of a spiny lobster right‐based management fishery; implementation of the new ecotourism model; waste management in all inhabited islands; and capacity building and technical support and advice to the Ecuadorian government.

Directorate of the Galapagos National Park The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park (DGNP) from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment is the Institution in charge of the conservation and management of both protected areas within Galapagos: the terrestrial park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve. It was established in 1959 with offices in all inhabited islands. The DGNP’s headquarters is in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz.