last
dr. dolittle | June 27, 2012
The last known member of the subspecies Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni), affectionately named Lonesome George, passed away on Sunday at about 100 years old (no one knew his exact age). He had been the last of his kind in the Galapagos Islands for the past 40 years, earning his nickname. The suspected cause of death is a heart attack. The Galapagos National Park Service will be preserving his body for future studies.
The reason for the extinction of these tortoises: overhunting by fishermen and sailors in the 19th century along with habitat destruction by feral goats.…