43 giant tortoises released in Galapagos

Forty-three tortoises bred for eight years in captivity have been released into the wild in the Galapagos Islands in an effort to restore and conserve their population. 

The Chelonoidis Guntheri tortoises, commonly known as the Sierra Negra giant tortoises, were born and raised at the Arnaldo Tupiza breeding center on Isabela Island. They were returned to their natural habitat last Wednesday in an inaccessible area of the Sierra Negra volcano. Experts confirmed that the reptiles were in the best possible health condition to return to the wild. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Chelonoidis Guntheri tortoises are a critically endangered species. It is estimated that 99% of the population has disappeared in the last 180 years.