Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise
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Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise
SCIENTIFIC NAME: CHELONOIDIS PHANTASTICUS
REDISCOVERED: 2019 in Ecuador
Update (02.20.19) We are awaiting the results of genetic testing to confirm the rediscovery of the Fernandina Galápagos Tortoise in the Galápagos--an exciting rediscovery announced on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet show, Extinct or Alive, by outdoor adventurer and TV personality Forrest Galante.
Previous to that, only one individual was ever found—on Fernandina Island, the youngest and least-explored of the Galápagos Islands. According to Himalayan mountaineering legend Eric Shipton, the odds of rediscovering a Fernandina Tortoise were at least better than those of finding a Yeti. An expedition in 1964 discovered putative tortoise droppings, and a fly-over in 2009 reported sightings of something tortoise-like from the air, renewing hope that this species may yet be holding on.
See photos and more about rediscovering 'Fern' below.
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In the News
Read more about the rediscovery of this elusive tortoise.
Animal Planet
‘Extinct’ Tortoise Rediscovered in Galapagos after 113 Years During Animal Planet Expedition
Multimedia
Photos provided by Forrest Galante, Animal Planet. Download photo and video assets.
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