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Ecuador has released 201 tortoises on Santa Fe Island in the Galápagos archipelago, where a similar subspecies went extinct more than 150 years ago.
Santa Fe is the former home to Chelonoidis sp, a subspecies of giant tortoise which died out after humans took a hefty toll on the ecosystem, beginning in the 18th century when pirates and buccaneers decimated the population. "We released in Santa Fe 201 tortoises from the Chelonoidis hoodensis subspecies, which are from Espanola Island, and which have morphological and genetic similarities to the extinct subspecies on the (Santa Fe) island," rangers from Galápagos National Park said.
The 201 tortoises, which were released Saturday, were raised in captivity and are between four and 10 years old. Of these, 30 have a radio transmitter that will allow park rangers to follow the animals in the wild.
The park service described repopulating the island with tortoises as "a conservation milestone" and said it signified a "new methodology for ecological restoration of the archipelago," which is located 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the Ecuadoran coast. The project will also study the changes that occur in the ecosystem with the tortoises and animal's coexistence with the approximately 6,500 land iguanas that live on the island, according to Danny Rueda, director of Galápagos National Park. Experts believe 14 subspecies of tortoises have lived on the Galápagos Islands, of which three—including Chelonoidis sp—are extinct. The last member of the extinct Chelonoidis abigdoni subspecies, a tortoise known as "Lonesome George," died three years ago.
The Galápagos Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are known for their unique flora and fauna. Santa Fe Island, which is located in the center of the archipelago, has an area of 24.7 square kilometers (9.5 square miles).
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 29 2015, @06:23AM
I'm always happy to see people working to clean the world up, prevent pollution, and reverse the damage we've done to the environment.
But, I guess I'm something of a pessimist. In the end, what good will it do? They turn 201 turtles loose, and poachers will kill 500.
When do we start poaching the poachers?
(Score: 2) by Adamsjas on Monday June 29 2015, @06:34AM
Its a national park now.
The damage was done in the 1700s.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 29 2015, @06:37AM
Yes, and I've seen the damage done by tourists in various parks as well. Even well-intentioned but ignorant tourists might pick up a baby tortoise to keep as a pet.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday June 29 2015, @07:06AM
Don't think that is an issue. You don't drive there. You don't go there at all except with the permission and guidance of the rangers.
You are essentially saying we shouldn't even try to reestablish this population because one of them might get poached. Pretty defeatists if you ask me.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 29 2015, @07:29AM
No, no, I'm looking at conservation measures around the world, not just this one thing alone. The Amazon, for instance - it's being burned every year, to open more land for cultivation. The rhinos, elephants and other big game animals in Africa - nations spend a lot of time and money on preservation, but the poachers continue their harvest.
The tortoises? Yeah, it's a good move. But, if they should prove to have some market somewhere, like China, economic forces are going to push people into poaching. Park rangers. They have been proven to be pretty ineffective at various parks around the world. Sometimes, the park rangers are also poachers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 29 2015, @01:42PM
And look at the Amazon; there are hardly any rhinos left at all.
(Score: 2) by That_Dude on Monday June 29 2015, @06:53AM
How's about tranquilize them and fence them in - then sell tickets to people who like to hunt the fish in the barrel method. Then hack every outdoor display with a live feed. To top it off, send their families the bill for the bullets. Peer pressure is a powerful form of advertising!
(Score: 2) by kadal on Monday June 29 2015, @07:52PM
I've always thought that the solution for poaching was to send special forces in with shoot-at-sight orders.