Giant Tortoise That Was Thought To Be Extinct 100 Years Ago Is Just Chilling In Galapagos
CNN - Ecuador confirmed on Tuesday that a giant tortoise found in 2019 in the Galapagos Islands is a species considered extinct a century ago.
The Galapagos National Park is preparing an expedition to search for more of the giant tortoises in an attempt to save the species.
The turtle was found two years ago on Fernandina Island, one of the youngest and most pristine in the archipelago, during a joint expedition between the Galapagos National Park and the Galapagos Conservancy.
Scientists from Yale University then identified it as the Chelonoidis phantasticus species, which had been considered extinct more than a century ago.
"Yale University revealed the results of genetic studies and the respective DNA comparison that was made with a specimen extracted in 1906," the Galapagos Park said in a statement.
"It was believed extinct more than 100 years ago! We have reconfirmed its existence," Environment Minister Gustavo Manrique wrote on his Twitter account.
Humans gonna human.
We discovered one of the more incredible living things on this planet hadn't in fact been eradicated by us, like we originally thought. Which is great fucking news. The powers to be even managed to keep their mouths shut for two years about it, because, well, you know, humans. But they just couldn't help themselves. They had to make this worldwide news and put it on the AP wire to announce to everybody that there's still one left!
Couldn't just leave this guy alone to do his thing in the Galapagos. Chill out, eat some crickets, and see his next birthday. In peace. Gotta make it a spectacle and put him on everybody's radar so they can "study" him. Maybe put him a zoo/prison and wonder why he won't fuck in front of 20 scientist dorks while they watch like fuckin creeps.
A wise man by the name of Ian Malcolm once said "Life finds a way".
And this couldn't be any more evident.
Despite mankind wiping out millions of square acres of forest, choking the air with pollution, cranking up the thermostat, and killing anything and everything we can mount on a wall to show off to our redneck friends life still finds a way.
Just take man out of the equation, somewhere like the Galapagos Islands for example, and all sorts of shit pops up.
(Fun fact - The Galapagos Islands served as the basis for the British scientist Charles Darwin's theory of the evolution of species in the 19th century. Many varieties of tortoises live together with flamingos, boobies, albatrosses and cormorants, a family of species of aquatic birds. It also houses a large amount of flora and fauna in danger of extinction.)
We should pat ourselves on the back for the fact that witness protection is actually a real thing. It's incredible that we're able to hide people amongst other people without somebody telling the whole world, posting it on social media, or the media leaking it.
p.s. - take it away Jonathan