Santa Cruz Island
The Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are the two main organizations that have been working hand in hand for a great common goal – the conservation of this paradisiacal archipelago.
Today we witnessed these efforts reflected in the rearing and later repatriation program with giant tortoises. These antediluvian-looking animals were unfortunately extracted from the islands by the thousands. A terrible fact caused this devastation; tortoises can survive for up to one year without eating or drinking. The Galápagos Islands became an ideal place where to stop: pirates, whalers and sealers at different times came to rest, obtain fresh water and at the same time they had the chance to change their diet taking some tortoises with them. They brought some races of tortoises to the extinction and left some other races close to it. Today when we went to visit the visitors’ center our guests were very pleased to see the breeding center where baby tortoises were hatched. The breeding program is a great success. So far, close to 3000 tortoises have been repatriated to the different islands. Giant tortoises are living now a golden era. We are trying to restore their dynasty, their reign. What an inspiring situation!
The Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station are the two main organizations that have been working hand in hand for a great common goal – the conservation of this paradisiacal archipelago.
Today we witnessed these efforts reflected in the rearing and later repatriation program with giant tortoises. These antediluvian-looking animals were unfortunately extracted from the islands by the thousands. A terrible fact caused this devastation; tortoises can survive for up to one year without eating or drinking. The Galápagos Islands became an ideal place where to stop: pirates, whalers and sealers at different times came to rest, obtain fresh water and at the same time they had the chance to change their diet taking some tortoises with them. They brought some races of tortoises to the extinction and left some other races close to it. Today when we went to visit the visitors’ center our guests were very pleased to see the breeding center where baby tortoises were hatched. The breeding program is a great success. So far, close to 3000 tortoises have been repatriated to the different islands. Giant tortoises are living now a golden era. We are trying to restore their dynasty, their reign. What an inspiring situation!
