Extinct Giant Tortoise Rediscovered After 100 Years

Animal Planet star Forest Gallante is known for his unending quest to find rare animal species that had erroneously been declared extinct. While most of his adventures have inconclusive results, he has recently tracked down one creature that was thought to be extinct for the last 100 years.

The animal in question is the Fernandina giant tortoise. Forest and his team managed to track on in the Galapagos islands by following traces of its poop to the top of an active volcano. What they eventually found was a female giant tortoise who may be more than 100 years old herself. There is a good chance that she may even be the last of her species, but her discovery means that there could still be hope. As it turns out, female Fernandina giant tortoises can store previously deposited sperm for several decades after mating with a male.

The tortoise has now been moved from the rocky and dry volcano top to a customized breeding facility on Santa Cruz Island. She is reportedly very happy and spending a lot of her time in the water, something she has not had access to for several years.

The last time a member of the species was spotted, it was 1906.

If you are interested in the work of Forrest Galante, check out his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Show:

Source: Inhabitat