Should Lonesome George Go Home?

A minor storm is brewing in Ecuador about where the taxidermy of iconic Galapagos tortoise Lonesome George should wind up. George, who died unexpectedly in 2012, was the last Pinta Island tortoise and was often referred to as “the rarest creature in the world”. He garnered international attention as conservationists tried in vain to get him to reproduce and save his species from extinction. In the process, he became a symbol for the Galapagos Islands and a poster boy for efforts to protect endangered species everywhere. Earlier this month, Ecuador’s Ministry of the Environment issued a press release stating that George’s remains would go on display in Quito and that the Galapagos Islands would receive a bronze replica rather than the real thing. So far, the reaction hasn’t been popular in the islands.

“Giant Tortoise, Galapagos” by Arturo de Frias Marques – Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

On Saturday, El Universo published a story in which the mayor of Santa Cruz (the most populous Galapagos Island and George’s home for over forty years) called the decision “outrageous” and said that George should be returned to the islands. The next day the ministry released a statement in response, saying that while the Galapagos still may be an option for George in the future, Quito is a better choice for now because preserving his remains requires, among other things, temperature and moisture controlled facilities that don’t currently exist in the islands. George was sent to the American Museum of Natural History after he died, where his remains were preserved and where he went on temporary display last week. What do you think? Should George be returned to his home? Or is Quito a better choice? Leave your comments below.