Galápagos’ long-lost giant tortoises return to Floreana in a careful comeback

Scientists report a dramatic reappearance of giant tortoises on Floreana Island in the Galápagos after the lineage disappeared in the 19th century. Tortoises found on Wolf Volcano were identified as Floreana descendants and 158 hatchlings were released on Floreana in early 2026 with satellite trackers to study their adaptation. The effort is part of a long-running breeding program that has released thousands of captive-bred tortoises to restore the archipelago’s ecosystem engineers, while ongoing conservation work targets invasive species and habitat restoration.