Galapagos National Park rangers unload juvenile giant tortoises on Floreana Island after transporting them from a breeding center in Santa Cruz Island, for release as part of a project to reintroduce the species to its native island in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
February 20, 2026 - 8:43 AM
FLOREANA ISLAND, Galapagos (AP) — Juvenile tortoises with Floreana ancestry were brought to their native island from the Galápagos National Park’s breeding center on Santa Cruz Island, as part of a project to restore the species to its native habitat
The original Floreana giant tortoise was driven to extinction in the 19th century largely after sailors and whalers took tortoises for food. Later, introduced animals such as rats and feral cats preyed on eggs and hatchlings, while other invasive species degraded habitat and food sources.
Scientists later found tortoises with Floreana ancestry on other islands and began selectively breeding hybrids for reintroduction once juveniles are large enough to survive.
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