« Prev Next »
Distinguished ninety-something Gálapagos tortoise seeking female companion to explore the islands with. Enjoys leaves and berries, relaxing in the sun, meditation, and long walks on the beach. Looking for the right tortoise to share the next half-century with, hopefully one who has similar interests, hobbies, and genetic code. Must want children.
Since the tortoise known as Lonesome George can't write a classified ad, I thought one should be written for him. He is, after all, the last known Pinta Island tortoise, or Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, a species found only in the Gálapagos archipelago off Ecuador's western coast. First spotted in 1971, Lonesome George lived in the wild until his habitat was threatened by a population of voracious feral goats.1 He then was moved to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a center dedicated to the animals that inspired its namesake, where scientists have been playing matchmaker lately with mixed success.
Lonesome George's bachelor days ended in 2008, when two tortoises of Isabela Island's Geochelone becki species moved into his pen. Researchers were delighted when eggs arrived later that year,2 but were hugely disappointed when they failed to hatch, as did the following two clutches in 2009 and 2010.3 Despite the romance, as the chemistry wasn't working out, researchers began looking for other potential mates. When genetic studies at Yale University revealed the Española Island tortoise, or Geochelone hoodensis, to be "genetically closer ... more compatible, and could offer greater possibilities of producing offspring," it was decided to set Lonesome George up with members of that species.4
Last January, two Española females moved in with Lonesome George, and head caretaker Fausto Llerena reported in May that "He's getting to know them... Lately he seems more animated." This is good news for Gálapagos conservation, whose advocates have seen two tortoise species go extinct because of foreign animals that once introduced, feed on tortoise eggs. If only Lonesome George could breed like his former neighbors: in 1959, three goats — one male and two females — were brought to Pinta Island, and within a decade, the population had grown more than 5,000.5 By 2006, more than 50,000 goats had been removed from the isle.6
And it's not just animals, as the efforts of the conservationists at London's Kew Gardens indicate. Botanists there have been caring for a rare cycad named Encephalartos woodii since the tree's founder, John Medley Wood, transferred it from present-day South Africa's Ngoya Forest in 1895.7 Cycads such as E. woodii originated when dinosaurs roamed the earth over two hundred million years ago. During the Jurassic period, they constituted around 20% of the world's plants. Now, E. woodii is the last of his species, and though he has produced a cone, there are no female trees around to catch its pollen. He has been cloned and can form hybrids, but researchers are still searching Africa's forests hoping to find a female counterpart.
So if anyone knows an E. woodii female, there's one in London who would be interested in getting together. Think of him as the strong and silent type.
Image Credits: Lonesome George image is by A. Davey from Flickr . E. woodii is from Wikimedia.
1. Campbell, K; Donlan, J; & Carrion, F.C.V. Eradication of Feral Goats Capra hircus from Pinta Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Oryx: The International Journal of Conservation, 38: 328-333 (2004).
2. Gálapagos Conservancy. "8 More Eggs Discovered in Lonesome George's Enclosure." Press Release. August 22, 2008.
3. Associated Press. "Meet Gálapagos' Most Eligible Bachelor." CBS News. January 21, 2010.
4. Ho, E. "Last Known Gálapagos Tortoise Seeks Soul Mate, With Little Success." Time. May 12, 2010.
5. Gillespie, R. and Clague, D. A. Encyclopedia of Islands. Berkeley: University of California, 2009.
6. Stronza, A. and Durham, W. Ecotourism and Conservation in the Americas. Wallingford: CABI, 2008.
7. Krulwich, R. "The Loneliest Plant in the World." US National Public Radio. May 10, 2011.
Researchers have found one male tortoise from Isabela island's Volcano Wolf area whose genes seem to be half Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, probably representing a first generation combination of Pinta and Isabela tortoises, so they are still hopeful there could be a full female Pinta tortoise on Isabela island. Also a male at the Prague Zoo is being studied as a possible full candidate, but a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds a female is still being offered. Let's hope it works!
I feel most for Lonesome George... such a majestic creature. To think of being able to see as many years go by as this tortoise lives! I wonder, have the Pinta Islands been searched and combed sufficiently to make sure that there really isn't a single female Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni left? It seems a shame to match such a specially evolved and adapted species as one of the Gálapagos tortoises with a different species!