Galápagos park releases 158 juvenile hybrid tortoises on Floreana Island

Galápagos National Park released 158 juvenile hybrid giant tortoises, aged 8–13, on Floreana Island to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem; the animals carry an estimated 40–80% of the genetic makeup of the extinct Chelonoidis niger.

Galápagos National Park released 158 juvenile hybrid giant tortoises on Floreana Island as part of a multi-year program to restore the island’s depleted ecosystem. The juveniles are between eight and 13 years old and their release coincided with the season’s first winter rains. Park biologists selected specimens with the strongest Floreana-related genes from a Santa Cruz breeding center. The effort follows genetic discoveries tracing Floreana ancestry to tortoises on Wolf Volcano, Isabela Island. Key details: - 158 juvenile hybrid tortoises were released on Feb. 20, 2026; they are part of a planned total of 700 to be introduced gradually. - The juveniles are reported to carry between 40% and 80% of the genetic makeup of Chelonoidis niger, the Floreana lineage absent from the island for about 150 years. - The breeding program identified adults with stronger Floreana genetic traits and traces ancestry to Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island. - The reintroduced tortoises will share Floreana with nearly 200 residents and native wildlife such as flamingos and iguanas. - Non-native plants and animals on the island — including blackberry, guava, rats, cats, pigs and donkeys — are noted as ongoing challenges for the newcomers, and local residents expressed pride in the release. Summary: The release begins a long-term initiative to re-establish the Floreana tortoise lineage and to help restore the island’s ecological functions. Park officials plan to introduce juveniles gradually up to a total of 700 as part of the program. Undetermined at this time.