Lonesome George a father at last?
23rd July 2009
Lonesome George, believed to be the world’s last remaining Galápagos giant tortoise, might finally become a father after years of unsuccessful attempts by scientists to get him to mate.
Five eggs were discovered in George’s ‘bachelor’ corral by scientists early on Tuesday (21 July). It will be November before they know whether or not the eggs are fertilised. They are now being cared for at an incubation centre.
Scientists have been encouraging George to mate since 1993, but have so far been unsuccessful.
George is the only known living tortoise of the subspecies Geochelone abigdoni and has become a world famous poster tortoise for the archipelago.