This Giant Tortoise Dead at Age More than a Century

Giant turtle weighing 200 pounds (about 90 kilograms), is known as an icon in animal conservation Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, was found dead in more than 100 years of age.

Tortoise named Lonesome George, the turtle with a big shell was found dead on Sunday morning, at the Corral (rocks), where she cared for and maintained in conservation Galapagos Island. Reportedly, Lonesome George is the only subspecies of turtles that ever lived, and is now considered extinct.

Animals are also known as Pinta giant tortoise Island. Fausto Llerena, who has long been taking care of and caring for Lonesome George, found the animal was stretched motionless. Position when it was, was leaning toward the water hole drinking places.

The cause of death remains unknown. Only, now Lonesome George was in a special cold room, to avoid decomposition before officers perform a necropsy (dissection), to determine the cause of death.

Giant tortoises are native to the Galapagos Islands in some areas. Lonesome George the last one known species of subspecies (Chelonoidis abingdoni nigra) Pinta Island tortoise.

Scientists call Lonesome (loneliness), who saw in the Pinta Island in 1971. Then the turtle was transported to the Darwin research station in the next year. Animals were then called Lonesome George to George Gobel, one of the stars in the television show.

According to Reuters, approximately 20 thousand giant tortoises of different subspecies, still living in the Galapagos.