Diego, the Galapagos Tortoise That Saved His Species, Is Retiring

(Photo : Reuters)

A huge tortoise with an astonishing libido has been acknowledged to have saved his species from tragic extinction. Most of his descendants were brought back to their natural environment in the Galápagos Islands.

The name of the tortoise is Diego. It is one of the fourteen male tortoises picked to participate in a breeding campaign on Santa Cruz Island.

The project was a success. With the help of Diego, the campaign has produced approximately 2,000 giant tortoises since the 1960s when the project began. This is proof that the once critically endangered species can reproduce on their own and thrive in the wild.

The sex drive of Diego was one of the main reasons why he was chosen to participate in the program. 

Diego is already one hundred years old and he has fathered hundreds, of baby tortoises. Some estimates revealed that he is the father of as many as 800 tortoises.

According to the Galápagos National Parks service, the project recently concluded. The project's administrators are preparing for the release of Diego to the wild on the island of Española. Diego will be released later this year. 

The current population of tortoises in the world is approximately 1,800. Diego will be joining this population into the wild. It predicted by the rangers of the park that Diego had fathered 40% of the 1,800 population.

The director of the park named Jorge Carrion shared that Diego had made a significant contribution to the population of tortoises in Española. He expresses his happiness for the return of Diego to his natural environment.

According to the beliefs of the park service, Diego may have come from the Galápagos Islands eighty years in the past through a scientific journey.

Five decades ago, there were only two male tortoises and 12 female tortoises of Diego's kind (Chelonoidis hoodensis) in Espanola.

To save Diego's species, he was transferred to the San Diego Zoo in California.

At the present, Diego is being prepared for transport to bring him back to Española. Española is one of the oldest regions of the Galápagos Islands.

The Galápagos Islands is was declared as a Unesco World Heritage location and is known around the world for its one-of-a-kind animals and vegetation.

The indigenous wildlife in the Galapagos Islands includes tortoises and iguanas. This had significantly contributed to the development of the Theory of Evolution of Charles Darwin.

Travelers from different countries have witnessed the diversity of wildlife in the Galápagos Islands. 

Approximately eight decades after being part of the successful project for the survival and prevention of the extinction of Diego's kind and species, he will finally retire from the project with lots of accomplishments. After living for years in the San Diego Zoo in California, Diego will finally retire in his natural home with all the other tortoises that he fathered and others that were products of the successful program.

Enjoy your golden years Diego, you've done well.