Now worldwide the set of parks and reserves which purpose – rescue of promptly reduced types opens. Unfortunately, not always scientists manage it. For example, the last Abingdonsky elephant turtle died on June 24, 2012.
Elephant, or Galápagos turtles were described by Charles Darwin during his well-known travel by the Beagle ship. Now this species of turtles is considered the largest. The mass of an adult individual can reach four hundred kilograms, and length – meter and eight hundred centimeters. In total fifteen subspecies of these surprising animals were known, however now them remained only ten.
The quantity elephant skulls the beginning promptly to be reduced after opening by Europeans of Galapagos Islands. Unfortunate Amphibia were used by sailors as live canned food. With hundreds they were thrown in holds of the ships where turtles for months could survive without food and drink. Meat, naturally, did not spoil that was extremely convenient in distant swimming. To the middle of the 20th century from some islands Galápagos turtles completely disappeared, on others there were several hundreds of individuals. Abingdonskaya elephantturtlewas considered as died out, however in 1973 on the small island the scientist found one individual of these subspecies in a northern part of the archipelago. The turtle was called Lonely George, in honor of the actor George Gobel, and lodged in the shelter at the Darvinian research station. Within several decades the scientists tried to receive posterity from George. As the female of its subspecies in the nature did not exist, zoologists found the hybrid turtle who had on the fatherly line of the relative of the necessary look. Fertilization took place, however soon all germs died. Lonely George lived at the research station more than forty years. He became a conservation symbol on Galapagos Islands. Prince Charles, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie came to look at many celebrities on a unique turtle, including. However in the morning on June 24, 2012 George was found dead in the open-air cage. Without having left posterity, he became the last representative of the subspecies on the earth. The body of a reptile will be embalmed and transferred to the local museum that future generations could have ideas of Abingdonsky elephant turtles.