36 Galapagos turtles reintroduced to their natural environment

A giant Galapagos tortoise (illustration).

-

Thirty-six Galapagos giant tortoises have been reintroduced to their original habitat.

After a lifetime of captivity, they were freed on San Cristobal Island, one of the main islands in the Ecuadorian archipelago.

These 36

, one of the fifteen Galapagos turtle subspecies, have been deposited in the northeastern part of the island.

This is where an estimated population of some 6,700 turtles already lives, according to the Galapagos National Park (PNG).

Galapagos National Park rangers have released 36 captive-born giant turtles into their natural habitat on San Cristobal Island, one of the archipelago's main islands.pic.twitter.com / uva5MGrrO0

- Rebecca Rambar (@RebeccaRambar) September 29, 2020

A fragile species in a fragile habitat

The turtles, aged 6 to 8 years and weighing between 3 and 5 kg, went “through a quarantine process” before being released.

Temperature measurements, cardiac readings, blood and stool tests were carried out in order to exclude any disease or parasite before their reintroduction.

The

is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Since 2012, 75 turtles of this species, bred in captivity, have been reintroduced to San Cristobal Island.

The Galapagos have one of the most fragile ecosystems, with unique flora and fauna.

Planet

Var: Dozens of turtle eggs hatched on the beach of Fréjus

Planet

Brazil: World's largest jaguar population threatened by fires

• Environment

• Planet

• Threatened species

• Tortoise

• Galapagos