Lonesome George' the last giant Galapagos tortoise of his kind dies
Lonesome George, the last remaining giant tortoise of his kind who confounded scientists with his inability to produce offspring, has died.
The tortoise, known as the “Galapagos’ most eligible bachelor”, was notorious for his disinterest in the opposite sex and was believed to have been the last ofthe Geochelone abigdoni species.
Understood to be around 100 years old, he was found dead by his keeper of 40 years, Fausto Llerena, on Sunday morning.
He had no known descendents, after repeated attempts to persuade him to mate with females of a similar tortoise subspecies failed.
Known as the “rarest creature in the world”, his body will now be examined by officials at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador to determine cause of death.
Lonesome George has become a cause célèbre for conservationist s around the world since he was found in 1972, the last known member of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies (Geochelone nigra abingdoni)






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