Once extinct in wild, native tortoises return to Pinzón Island

Once extinct in the wild due to predation by rats, the Pinzón Island subspecies of the Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra duncanensis) has returned to its native island thanks to a successful captive breeding program. From Scientific American:

[...] Galápagos National Park and its partners launched a program to eradicate the rats and other invasive species throughout the archipelago, starting on smaller islands such as Pinzón, which as of last year was home to an astonishing 180 million rats. Last December more than 20,000 kilograms of poison were dropped on the 18-square-kilometer island. The poisons, which dissolve after a few days, were specially designed to attract rats but repel birds and other wildlife that might accidentally consume them. The rodents quickly took the bait and Pinzón has now been tentatively declared rat-free. Late last month Galápagos National Park took the third step and returned 118 juvenile tortoises to Pinzón from a breeding center on Santa Cruz Island.

We wish the Pinzón Island tortoise well! Read the rest of the story here. Photo: Scientific American/Island Conservation