Lonesome George Not Yet a Father
This topic has received widespread media attention already, but staff at the Galapagos National Park’s “Fausto Llerena” Giant Tortoise Captive Breeding Centre recently announced that eggs fertilized earlier this year by Lonesome George appear to be infertile. The 90-year old tortoise, last known member of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies, raised hopes for offspring three months ago when he finally mated with a female of a different subspecies. Unfortunately, most of the 13 eggs in the incubator have undergone significant weight loss, and some scientists now believe that George may be sterile.
There was widespread excitement when Lonesome George finally mated, after having shown very little interest in sex during his decades in captivity. George’s keepers had tried everything from artificial insemination to having George watch younger males mate, and had nearly lost hope of him reproducing. Tortoises of George’s age should still be in their sexual prime, and captive breading programs typically have a high rate of success. Some hope remains that a couple of eggs showing the least amount of weight loss may still hatch, but prospects do not look particularly good.
Source: The Telegraph.