One of the rarest animals in the world has officially become extinct. The last surviving example has died at the age 100 years old (estimated).
Of course, in our terms it is is very old but in tortoise terms perhaps he is only middle aged. They live a long life anyway but knowing that this was the last of the Pinta Island Tortoises is something to make us all think.
It was a very famous tortoise - it even had its own name which was Lonesome George. If you wanted to know why it was called Lonesome George, it was because the word “Lonesome” means being depressed, and having a lack of friends. So this is where it got its name by living a long life by itself.
For a very long time they have been trying to get the tortoise to reproduce with females who have genes similar to subspecies as the Galapagos Islands. This looks like it will be the end, though, for that particular species. Another one bites the dust…
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