Lonesome George is one of most famous reptiles that has ever lived, a giant Galapagos tortoise found in the remote Archipelago in 1971 on the tiny island of Pinta (formerly known as Abingdon Isle after the Earl of Abingdon). Scientists brought George into captivity and as the sole-surviving member of his species he became a living legend, a conservation icon celebrated the world over as the embodiment of extinction.
In this exciting talk, zoologist and author Henry Nicholls will transport his audience to the stunning Galapagos Islands, the best-preserved tropical archipelago left on earth, to reveal the grisly fate of George’s fellow tortoises, the surprising lengths that scientists went to to get George to reproduce and the heroic efforts of conservationists to restore populations of giant tortoises throughout the Galapagos. In 2012, Lonesome George died unexpectedly but he remains an inspiration to thousands of people in Galapagos and beyond.
