Giant Tortoise Population Thriving as 180,000 Found on One Island
Researchers say the population is the highest ever recorded and far exceeds the human population, a sign the species has rebounded from near-extinction.
- A recent survey led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter estimates nearly 180,000 Aldabra giant tortoises live on Aldabra Atoll, outnumbering the around 122,000 humans residing in the Seychelles archipelago.
- Heavy exploitation during the 19th century reduced the population to fewer than 1,000, pushing the species toward extinction. Strict nature reserve status in 1981 and UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1982 enabled the dramatic rebound.
- Researchers based these figures on five years of tortoise counts conducted between 2018 and 2022. Co-author Nancy Bunbury noted that the atoll's dense vegetation makes monitoring the species difficult, despite the program being one of the region's longest-running.
- "More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve," said Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, CEO of SIF. The figure demonstrates conservation success on a regional scale.
- Despite this success, study authors warn that vigilance remains essential as climate change, extended droughts, and invasive species like feral cats and black rats threaten the atoll's habitat and food sources.
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41 Articles
The world's largest population of free giant turtles is much larger than expected. According to a new study, the once almost extinct species seems to recover well. To count, the team needed five years.
Almost 183 thousand turtle-giant live freely in the atoll of Aldabra, in the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean, according to a survey conducted by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) in partnership with the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. The estimate, considered the largest already registered for the species, exceeds the human population of the country, of about 135,000 inhabitants, and represents a framework for the conservation …
Once near extinction, these giant tortoises now outnumber people in the Seychelles, survey finds
By Kathleen Magramo, CNN (CNN) — Giant tortoises once pushed to the brink of extinction now outnumber humans in their home of the Seychelles, according to a new survey on one of the African nation’s most remote islands.The survey, led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and the University of Exeter in the UK, estimated
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