Futile attempt to find more Fernandina giant tortoises

Fernanda, the last female Fernandina Giant Tortoise, discovered in 2019 (Credit Lucas Bustamante)

Galápagos Conservancy scientists and Galápagos National Park Rangers have just finished a series of thorough searches of Fernandina Island to find more Fernandina giant tortoises (Chelonoidis phantasticus). This species was thought to be extinct for more than 100 years before the 2019 discovery of a lone female tortoise named Fernanda.

According to an organizational release,¹ the species was believed to be extinct due to natural causes, particularly habitat destruction from regular eruptions of La Cumbre Volcano, one of the most active in the world. A significant portion of the Fernandina Island is covered by recent lava flows.

The search consisted of 18 participants, and it covered approximately 25 square miles of the remaining unexplored island habitat. A few years ago, rangers discovered tortoise tracks that did not belong to Fernanda, so they were hopeful there would be more of her kind.

"Hope is fast running out to find a mate for Fernanda, the sole known survivor of her species," stated Paul Salaman, PhD, president of Galápagos Conservancy, in the release.¹ "And in a tragic twist of fate, her life may mirror the plight of Lonesome George, the last of his kind from Pinta Island, who died alone just ten years ago in Galápagos, unless we are able to find alternatives to fully or partially recover this species."

Tortoises leave marks such as tracks, droppings, trails, and bite marks on vegetation where they reside, according to the release.¹ Therefore, experts were disheartened when they discovered no further signs of Fernandina tortoises after searching the entirety of the island suitable for these creatures while enduring harsh conditions.

"As an environmental authority, we have taken the necessary actions to find other tortoises on Fernandina Island and recover the species. Still, we remain hopeful that a new expedition, later this year and utilizing a helicopter, will allow us to reach inaccessible locations and find another tortoise,” Danny Rueda, director of the Galápagos National Park, added.¹

Reference

Dire situation for the last Fernandina giant tortoise. News release. Galápagos Conservancy. March 23, 2022. Accessed March 24, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dire-situation-for-the-last-fernandina-giant-tortoise-301508538.html#:~:text=The%20Fernandina%20Giant%20Tortoise%20was,covered%20by%20recent%20lava%20flows.