ViewApril metadata, 1994 citation and similar papers at core.ac.ukNOTICIAS DE GALAPAGOS 15 brought to you by CORE provided by Aquatic Commons Both a long-term monitoring program and a pilot Laurie, A.W. 1983. Ma¡ine iguanas in Galápagos. study on increasing survivorship of hatchling marine Oryx17:18-25. iguanas by reducing cat numbers may help maintain Laurie, A.W. and D. Brown. 1990. Population biol- the teeming abundance of ma¡ine iguanas through- ogy of marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) out the Galápagos Archipelago. II. Changes in annual survival rates and the ef- fects of size, sex, age and fecundity in apopulation LITERÄTURE CITED crash. J. Anim. Ecol.59:529-544. MacFa¡land, C.G., J. Villa and B. Toro. 1974. The Cayot, L. and L. Calvopiña. 1989. La potencial er- Galápagos giant tortois es (G e o c he I o ne el ep han- radicacion de ratas negras en la Isla Pinzon. Ca¡ta topus) Part I: Søtus of the surviving populations. Informativa 9(28): 10-11. Biological Conservation 6:198-212. Jacome, M.A. 1989. Estado actual de los gatos cima- Linda J. Cayot, Research Sta- rrones en Punta Vicente Roca, Isla Isabela. Carta tion, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador. Informativa 9(28):6. Kornelia Rassmann, Department of Zoology, Konecny, M.J. 1983. Behavioral ecology of feral University of Munich, Luisenstr. 14,8000 Munich house cats in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. 2, Germany. Fritz Trillmich, Chair of Ethology, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of . l27pp. Faculty of Biology University of Bielefeld, P.O. Kruuk, H. and H. Snell. 198 1 . Prey selection by feral Box 10 0131,48 Bielefeld t Germany. dogs from a population of ma¡ine iguanas (An- Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemein- blyrhynchus cristatus). J. Applied Ecology schaft Tr 10517-1. 18:197-204.

THE STORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE '.'' ON PINTA ISLAND

By: Dr. Manuel Cruz P. (Translated by Heidi M. Snell)

THE BEGINNING GUAYAQUIL TO GALÁPAGOS

In the beginning of 1972, útri,ng the last year of In 1972, TAME made twice weekly flights be- our studies in the Department of Natural Sciences of tween Guayaquil and Galápagos. Hipolito told me the University of Guayaquil, Hipolito Ronquillo and that this was the first time he would be away from his myself were asked to become the first scholarship family for so long. We were scheduled to be in Galápa- students to represent INP and the University at the gos for three months. After the three hour flight we Darwin Station. This began a long term agreement arrived at B altra and then to the dock. We went aboard between the Instituto Nacional de Pesca (INP), the a small boat and rraveled four hours around Santa Department of Natural Sciences of the University of Cruz until we arrived at Puerto Ayora where we were Guayaquil and the Charles Darwin Research Station. met by the director of the Darwin Station, Dr. Peter Kramer. I6 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS No.53

I joined the "Introduced " program and na, Basilio Toro, Galo Torres, Luis Torres, Arnaldo my counselor was Dr. Ole Hamann, who taught me to Tupiza, and myself. The purpose of the trip was to recognize many of the plants of Galápagos. The main hunt goats and my study was to look at stomach con- part of my project was to learn which plants were tents and learn the species of plants which were most being eaten by the goats who were destroying the likely to disappear under the influence of the goats. native vegetation. Another part was to learn about When we were on Pinta I remember one of the the pigs which were eating the in the nests of the Pa¡k wardens telling me there had been feces of a , both introduced animals endangering the tortoise found the year before but no one had seen a insular ecosystems. live tortoise in many years. [Editor's note: Areport S ince I needed to examine the stomach contents of was filed at the station and park by Joseph Vagvolgyi the goats and pigs to identify the species of plants who was on Pinta studying snails in November of these animals preferred, I worked closely with wa¡- 1971, he reported finding a tortoise but was unaware dens from the Parque Nacional Galápagos. With them of its significance.l I visited the 'Caseta" (part of the reserve in the high- land area of S anta Cruz), the pampas of Santiago, and THE DISCOVERY also the islands of Pinta, Marchena, Genovesa and Santa Fe. In to do the stomach content analysis in the We made a rip to hunt goats in April 1972. The field I carried many items such as a rifle, knife, can- following persons were on the trip: Camilo Calapu- teen, plantpress, scales, altimeter, and books. I was cha, Pedro Cartagena, Francisco Castañada, Carlos assignedaParkwarden, Francisco Castañada, to help Cedeño, Oswaldo Chapi, CesarDoaz, Fausto Llere- me complete the work.

CABO CTIALMERS

CABO IBBETSON

Figure 1. Locati_o^n on Pinta Island where the Galápagos ûortoise Geochetone elephantopus abingdonl, "Lonesome George", was found in March 1972. April 1994 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS t7

Figure2. Firstphotographof"LonesomeGeorge",takenwithManuetCruzatthemomentofcaptureonPintalsland,MarchlgT2.

One day we were at about 300 meters altitude and the tortoise Oswaldo Chapi took a few photos. The we observed something moving about 60 to 70 meters wardens proceeded to cut several branches, and tied distant (Fig. 1). We both thought ir was a goat and the tortoise to these so we could carry it down to shore taking aim with our rifles we walked closer until we suspended. On two occasions the branch holding the saw that it was actually a tortoise! The tortoise was tortoise broke and in general the swinging of the tor- under a palo santo (Bursera graveolens) and toise made it very difficult for us to walk over the lava surrounded by large rocks which appeared to enclose while carrying the tortoise. On many occasions we the area. I asked Francisco if he would photograph had to carry it between four people, two in front and me with the camera I had (Fig. 2). two in back; it was a horrible trip! [Editors note: A In order to relocate the area, I took off my shirt and boat chartered by Ole Hamann and Peter Pritcha¡d left it hanging like a flag, then I asked Francisco if he arrived on Pinta the following day to leave their group would stay with the tortoise while I went back to for five days, and take the Park personnel to work on camp with news of the discovery. At first no one in Marchena. Peter and Ole both photographed the tor- camp believed me so Camilo returned to the tortoise toise before it was loaded on the boat. It seems certain with me to verify the discovery. When 'we retumed this boat then took the tortoise back to the Da¡win to camp he confirmed the existence of the tortoise. Station. Peter and an assistant walked to the high- lands one of the days, but were unable to find anything THE RBSCUE except bones of a male torloise and the intact cara- pace of what Peter believes to have been a mature A group of us returned to the tortoise equipped female. The female had been killed by a machete with machetes, ropes and a camera. Befo¡e moving some few years earlier he estimated. Peter collected r8 NOTICIAS DE GALÁPAGOS No.53 this specimen and tookphotos (personnel communi- from the U.S. actor George Goebel who called him- cation, Hamann; Pritchard 1977 &.1984).1 self "l,onesome George" in a television program. Almost no one is certain who named "Lonesome George" and for what reason. I questioned Julio Cesa¡ LITERATURE CITED Sanmiguel (whois oneof theoldestemployees of the National Park) and he couldn'tremember who named Pritcha¡d, P. 1977 . Three,two, one tortoise. Natural the tortoise. It is almost certain that the name "Lone- History Magazine: 9 1 - 1 00. some" is because is the only surviving example of a Pritchard, P. 1984. Further thoughts on "Lonesome Pinta tortoise. According to Gayle Davis-Merlen, a George." Noticias de Galápagos 39:.20-23. long-time Søtion employee, the name "George" came Dr. Manuel Cruz P. Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada, Casilla 5940, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

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