Giant Tortoises Return to Floreana After 180 Years

In February 2026, 158 young giant tortoises were released on Floreana Island in the Galápagos. It’s the first time tortoises have lived there again in roughly 150 to 180 years, after the original Floreana tortoise disappeared in the 1800s.

This matters because giant tortoises don’t just live in an ecosystem, they help build it. When they eat, roam, and spread seeds, plants and other wildlife get a better shot at recovery. In a world full of conservation setbacks, this is a rare win that can be tracked and measured over time.

Key points

• Where: Floreana Island, Galápagos (Ecuador)
• How many: 158 juvenile tortoises (released Feb 20, 2026)
• What kind: Floreana lineage hybrids linked to Chelonoidis niger niger
• Who led it: Galápagos National Park with partners including Galápagos Conservancy
• What happens next: monitoring, plus more releases planned toward a goal of about 700

What happened on Floreana, and what “return” really means

Floreana is one of the inhabited islands in Ecuador’s Galápagos chain. On Feb 20, 2026, park staff and partners released 158 juvenile tortoises, reported to be about 8 to 13 years old, into selected areas of the island. News footage and reporting showed crates carried across rough, volcanic ground, which is often the reality of conservation work far from roads.

The key detail is the word “return.” These tortoises did not wander back on their own. Conservationists reintroduced them after raising them in a managed breeding program. That’s why the event is both hopeful and practical: people removed threats, raised animals, and then put them back where they can do their ecological job.

The animals released carry a significant share of Floreana ancestry, often described as roughly 40% to 80% Floreana giant tortoise genes, linked to the extinct Floreana form (Chelonoidis niger niger). The science behind that claim is explained in partner updates and coverage, including the BBC’s report on the Floreana release.

Site choice also mattered. Partners have said they used satellite information to help pick places with food, water, and suitable nesting areas. It’s a simple idea: give the tortoises the best possible start, then watch what they do.

Why the tortoises are “Floreana lineage” even though the original species was lost

For years, the Floreana giant tortoise was considered extinct. Then researchers found living tortoises on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island) with genetic ties to Floreana. The discovery, confirmed through DNA testing, opened a narrow path back.

After that, teams selected a small group of adult “founders” to start a breeding effort, often described as about 23 animals (9 males and 14 females). They didn’t clone tortoises or rebuild a species in a lab. Instead, they used targeted breeding with close relatives and hybrids that still carried Floreana traits.

This kind of genetic rescue can sound abstract, so here’s the plain version: some living tortoises still carried “family traits” from Floreana, and scientists worked to increase those traits in the next generations. The Charles Darwin Foundation summary of the 158 tortoises released describes the reintroduction and the broader effort around it.

A quick look at the Floreana Island Ecological Restoration Project

The tortoise release sits inside a longer plan often referred to as the Floreana Island Ecological Restoration Project. The basic logic is straightforward: first remove or control invasive species that destroy nests or kill young animals, then bring back native species that once shaped the island.

Partners have discussed invasive species work on Floreana, including removing threats such as rats and cats as part of restoration. The goal is bigger than tortoises alone. Over time, the project aims to restore about 12 native species and improve habitat across the island.

For context on the wider restoration goals and challenges, see the Galapagos Conservation Trust’s overview of restoring Floreana. It frames the work as multi-year and multi-partner, which is usually what it takes for island recovery to hold.

Why giant tortoises matter so much to Galápagos ecosystems

A giant tortoise is slow, but its impact adds up. Over decades, tortoises shape what grows, where it grows, and which plants get a second chance. That’s why scientists often call them a keystone species (a species that many others depend on) and ecosystem engineers (animals that physically change habitats in ways that help other life).

On islands, that role becomes even more important. Island ecosystems can be fragile, and they often lack the “backup” species that fill similar jobs on continents. When a big plant-eater disappears, the whole system can drift.

Floreana’s reintroduction is designed around this cause-and-effect. If tortoises survive and spread out, they can begin to rebuild plant communities. Then insects, birds, and other native animals can benefit from better habitat.

NASA has highlighted how Earth-observation tools can support work like this, including mapping vegetation and moisture. That context helps explain why satellite data was part of planning on Floreana, as described in NASA’s overview of helping bring tortoises back.

They spread seeds and help native plants come back

Tortoises eat fruit, pads, leaves, and other plant material. After that, they move, sometimes far, and deposit seeds in new places. That natural seed spread can help native plants recolonize areas where they’ve been reduced.

This matters because plants build the base of the food web. More native plant cover can mean better nesting and shelter for other wildlife. It can also make the landscape more resistant to erosion during heavy rains.

In other words, tortoises act like living gardeners. They don’t plant neatly in rows, but they keep the system moving.

They graze and open up crowded vegetation

Grazing changes what dominates. When tortoises feed repeatedly in an area, they can reduce overgrowth and support a patchwork of vegetation types instead of one crowded thicket.

Large animals also create open spaces simply by moving and feeding. Over time, that can influence where seedlings take root and where sun reaches the ground. On islands where big grazers disappeared long ago, that “missing pressure” can change what the habitat looks like.

None of this happens in a month. Still, that slow change is part of the point. Floreana didn’t lose its tortoises quickly, and the recovery won’t be quick either.

Why Floreana’s tortoises disappeared, and why the comeback took so long

Floreana’s original tortoises were wiped out by the mid-1800s. Historical accounts and modern reporting point to heavy hunting by sailors and whalers, who valued tortoises as a source of fresh meat during long voyages.

Invasive animals added another blow. Introduced pigs, rats, goats, and cats damaged habitat and preyed on eggs and young tortoises. When a long-lived species loses its hatchlings year after year, it can’t replace itself.

The reason a comeback took so long comes down to steps that must happen in order. First, conservationists needed to remove or control major threats on Floreana. Next, they needed a viable breeding plan linked to Floreana ancestry. Then they needed time, because young tortoises take years to reach safer sizes.

That timeline can feel frustrating. However, it also explains why this release is meaningful. It signals that many earlier steps finally lined up.

How conservationists brought tortoises back to Floreana step by step

This project combines genetics, animal care, logistics, and strict prevention of new invasions. The breeding program reportedly began in 2017 on Santa Cruz, using selected founders with Floreana ancestry. Over time, juveniles were raised until they were large enough to handle life outside.

Release planning also looked very modern and very basic at the same time. Modern, because partners used satellite data to help identify areas with better conditions. Basic, because people still had to carry crates across hard ground and time releases around rain and forage.

Health safeguards were part of the process. Partners have described quarantine and screening, plus microchips for identification. Some partner updates also describe lightweight GPS transmitters to help track movement and habitat use after release, although public details may vary by organization and update.

The larger goal, stated in partner communications, is to build toward about 700 tortoises released over time. Annual targets can shift with weather, funding, and field conditions. If official figures change, partners will likely update them as monitoring continues.

One useful way to think about this work is as “island restoration with receipts.” The plan is not only to release animals, but also to measure what happens after.

From DNA testing to a breeding group, how the right tortoises were chosen

Genetic match can sound technical, so a family analogy helps. If a child inherits a grandparent’s curly hair, that trait can resurface even if it looked “lost” in the family for a while. Floreana traits worked in a similar way. Some tortoises elsewhere in the Galápagos still carried them.

Scientists compared DNA from living tortoises with reference material, including older samples, to confirm ancestry. Then they paired founders to increase Floreana genetic representation in offspring over multiple breeding cycles.

Galápagos Conservancy has described this arc from discovery to breeding and reintroduction, including what it means to see tortoises on Floreana again in Dr. James Gibbs’ update on the return.

Release day basics: health checks, microchips, and careful timing

Releasing animals isn’t just opening a gate. Teams typically limit disease risk through quarantine periods and basic vet checks. Identification matters too, so microchips help confirm which animal is which during later monitoring.

Juveniles were chosen for practical reasons. They’re big enough to be more resilient than hatchlings, but still manageable for transport. Timing also matters, so releases were linked to seasonal conditions that improve access to food and water.

A reintroduction only “counts” if the animals can live, roam, and eventually breed on their own.

What happens next, and how success will be measured over time

The first phase is survival and movement. Field teams will want to know whether the tortoises settle into suitable habitat, find water in dry periods, and avoid risky areas. Official survival rates were not released yet in public updates, which is normal this early.

Over time, monitoring should also look for ecosystem change. That can include shifts in plant cover and seedling growth in areas where tortoises feed and travel.

A realistic timeline helps set expectations:

• Months: early field checks, basic health observations, movement patterns
• Years: stronger evidence of habitat effects, broader range use
• Longer term: signs of breeding and a stable mix of age groups

Park staff and scientists plan repeat visits and monitoring, adjusting approach as conditions change.

The first signals to watch for in the next year

Early indicators are practical and unglamorous, which is often the best kind of evidence:

• Tortoises make it through dry stretches in good condition
• Individuals use more than one feeding area, rather than clustering in one spot
• Field checks show stable weight and healthy behavior where observations are possible
• Animals keep expanding into suitable habitat without frequent returns to one point

These signals don’t prove long-term success on their own. Still, they show whether the release sites and timing were a good fit.

The longer proof: hatchlings and a self-sustaining population

True success means wild breeding. That includes nests, hatchlings, and eventually multiple generations living without ongoing releases.

Giant tortoises are long-lived, so the payoff is slow. The upside is that, once a breeding population becomes stable, it can keep shaping the island for decades. In that sense, tortoises are a long-term investment in habitat restoration.

What this means for conservation around the world, and the limits

Floreana’s release offers a clear lesson: species reintroductions work best after threats are reduced and monitoring stays strong. Islands can be especially good candidates because boundaries are clear and invasive control can be targeted.

At the same time, the limits are obvious. This work takes money, time, and constant prevention of new invasive species. It also depends on local support and steady staffing in a protected area.

Still, this moment fits the phrase Galápagos conservation success because it connects planning to action, and action to measurable outcomes. Similar approaches show up in other places too, from marine releases to targeted habitat recovery, including efforts covered in endangered leopard shark releases in Thailand.

FAQs about the Floreana tortoise return

Are the tortoises wild, or were they relocated?

They were raised in a conservation breeding programme and then released, which makes this a reintroduction. After release, they live wild on Floreana, even if they were born in managed care.

Why is this called the Galápagos giant tortoises return if they’re hybrids?

The phrase Galápagos giant tortoises return reflects that tortoises are back on Floreana after about 180 years, tied to the island’s lost lineage. The animals carry a large portion of Floreana ancestry, so the goal is to restore the tortoise’s ecological role and genetic heritage over time.

Why did it take nearly 200 years?

Floreana’s tortoises disappeared in the 1800s. Scientists first had to find Floreana genes elsewhere, remove major threats like invasive predators, then breed and raise young tortoises until they were ready for release.

How do researchers track the tortoises?

Partners have confirmed microchips for identification, along with field surveys and repeat monitoring visits. Some project updates also describe GPS transmitters to track movement, but public details can differ by update and organization.

Can tourists see them on Floreana?

Floreana is part of a protected area with rules meant to reduce stress on wildlife. Visitors should follow park guidance, stay on marked routes, and use licensed guides, rather than trying to approach animals for photos.

Does species reintroduction always work?

No. Success depends on removing threats, having enough habitat, and funding long-term monitoring. Early survival data also takes time to publish, especially for slow-growing species.

What other species are being restored in the Galápagos?

The Floreana plan describes a goal of restoring multiple native species over time (often cited as about 12). Invasive species control is a core step, and progress often depends on steady field work, similar to other habitat restoration stories like Marsh Fritillary recovery efforts.

Sources and where to follow official updates

• Giant tortoises return to Galápagos island after nearly 200 years (BBC)
• 158 endangered tortoises released onto Floreana Island (Charles Darwin Foundation)
• On the return of the Floreana giant tortoise (Galápagos Conservancy)
• Ecological restoration on Floreana Island (Galápagos Conservancy)
• NASA on supporting Galápagos tortoise recovery
• Restoring Floreana project background (Galapagos Conservation Trust)

Conclusion

In February 2026, 158 young tortoises were placed back on Floreana, ending a gap of about 180 years. The goal isn’t symbolism, it’s ecosystem restoration that can be checked in the field over months and years. The next milestones are simple: survival through seasons, wider movement across habitat, and eventually nests and hatchlings. For the clearest updates, follow ongoing releases and monitoring through the park’s conservation partners and official project reports.