Washington Tapia Releases 158 Giant Tortoises on Floreana Island

Conservationists released 158 juvenile hybrid tortoises onto Floreana Island in the Galápagos archipelago to restore the ecosystem nearly 150 years after the species went extinct there.Biologists Washington Tapia, Fredy Villalba, and Christian Sevilla managed the reintroduction of the animals, which carry up to 80% of the genetic makeup of the original Chelonoidis niger lineage.This initial release marks the start of a larger project to establish a population of 700 tortoises on the island, which is a recognized UN World Heritage Site.