Reintroduction of tortoises to Isabella
On 4 August the Galapagos National Park Authority advised that they had successfully reintroduced 153 giant tortoises (Geochelone vicina) to the Cinco Cerros area of Isabella. This operation shows the potential of long term strategic restoration programmes – in this case involving goat control to restore the habitat and captive breeding to maintain populations of tortoises to be returned to the habitat. It shows that we can reverse the negative effects of human settlement on the Galapagos if we all work together – even when the actions needed are currently “impossible”.
It also demonstrates the fact that investment in infrastructure and equipment for one operation can have spin-off benefits for other operations. In this case, the helicopter bought for the goat control operation was needed to safely transport the tortoises to their new homes.