On February 20, the Galápagos National Park Directorate and conservation partners released 158 giant tortoises on Floreana Island — the first time the species has roamed there in more than 150 years, after heavy hunting by whalers and the introduction of invasive predators wiped them out in the mid-1800s.
The release was guided by NASA satellite technology that helped scientists identify exactly where the animals would have the best chance of long-term survival.
Without Tortoises, an Ecosystem Fell Apart. Now They’re Back.
Giant tortoises weren’t just residents of Floreana — they were architects of it.
For centuries, they grazed vegetation, cleared pathways through dense plant growth, and dispersed seeds across the island. Their disappearance triggered an ecological collapse that reshaped the landscape over generations.
