Last Pinta giant
tortoise Lonesome George dies
Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old. Park officials said they
would carry out a post-mortem to determine the cause of his death. With no
offspring and no known individuals from his subspecies left, Lonesome George
became known as the rarest creature in the world. For decades,
environmentalists unsuccessfully tried to get the Pinta Island tortoise to
reproduce with females from a similar subspecies on the Galapagos Islands. Park
officials said the tortoise was found dead in his corral by his keeper of 40
years, Fausto Llerena. While his exact age was not known, Lonesome George was
estimated to be about 100, which made him a young adult as the subspecies can
live up to an age of 200.
Read rest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18574279
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