00:05Over 150 giant tortoises were reintroduced to Floriana Island in Ecuador's Galapagos
00:12Archipelago where they disappeared more than a century ago. Park rangers carried
00:21large crates containing the 158 tortoises on their backs. Hiking seven
00:26kilometers across volcanic terrain and hard to access areas before releasing
00:31them. The Galapagos Islands, a world heritage site, are situated some 1,000
00:38kilometers off the coast of equator. They are famous for their unique flora and
00:44fauna and are where British scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of
00:50evolution. An NGO Island Conservation said it was the first time that giant tortoises
00:56have walked on Floriana since the native species was driven to extinction in the
01:02mid-1800s after the introduction of invasive mammals. There are 13 living
01:08species of Galapagos tortoises on other islands in the archipelago with the
01:14oldest on record left to be 175 years old. The released tortoises come from a
01:21breeding center of the Galapagos National Park. Each tortoise underwent an extensive
01:26quarantine and was microchipped for identification before their release. For a
01:32decade researchers have been working to reintroduce 12 other endemic species to
01:38Floriana as part of a rewintering program. Floriana, covering 173 square
01:43kilometers was the first to be inhabited by humans in the entire archipelago.
Comments