Giant tortoise death casts shadow over Galapagos Islands

[dipsydoodle]

A shadow has hung over the Galapagos Islands since the death in June of its most famous resident, the giant tortoise Lonesome George, and the islands are worried by the impact of his death on the tourist industry.

The day after Lonesome George's unexpected death, Marilyn Cruz took a phone call she would rather not have done.

Owing to Ecuador's constitution, the first in the world to afford the same rights to nature as it does to humans, the famously celibate Lonesome George had to be afforded a full autopsy.

And Cruz would have to do it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19112199

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[kickysnana]

2. Another source with biography and details of the necropsy.

http://www.inca1.com/galapagos/GPSnew.html

"The specialists examined the external body thoroughly and found nothing abnormal. After opening the shell, all organs were inspected and no abnormalities were found, except that his liver had an unusual color, presumably typical of the age.

During the three-hour autopsy, samples were taken from each organ and tissue for laboratory analysis. The conclusion is that the death was from natural causes, probably caused by aging."

A Giant Tortoise's Death Gives Extinction a Face

1971: An expedition of scientists and rangers find Lonesome George on Pinta island.
1972: Lonesome George is moved to the Breeding Center of the GNP in Santa Cruz.
1982: Fausto Llerena is responsible for the care of tortoise breeding center.
1993: Lonesome George placed in the yard of the two female solo Chelonoides n. becki species, morphologically similar to George.
2008: For the first time after 15 years together, the tortoises that share the yard with Lonesome George lay eggs. That same year it was discovered that the eggs were infertile.
2009: Females lay eggs again, but again were infertile.
2011: Genetic analysis reveasl that the closest species to see Lonesome George is from Espanola island, so the females in his pen were changed.
2012: The iconic turtle is found dead in his yard by ranger who nursed him so long.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. K&R. How terribly sad!

Godspeed, George! You lived a long and important life!

Lonesome George:

[primavera]

4. Equador's constitution grants nature the same legal status as humans?

VERY cool.

[DFW]

5. I hear the board of Bain capital all have second residences there

We hold this truth to be self-evident: that all sharks are created equal..............

[NYC_SKP]

7. Wrong forum, buddy!

You'll be banned before you can do anything about it, but you could have posted this in the DU marketplace or discussed the invention in the energy forum.

Buh bye now.