"Pinta Island Pinta Island, also known as Abingdon Island, after the Earl of Abingdon, is an island located in the Galápagos Islands group, Ecuador. It has an area of and a maximum altitude of . Pinta was the original home to Lonesome George, perhaps the most famous tortoise in the Galápagos Islands. He was the last known representative of the subspecies ""Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii"". Pinta Island is also home to swallow-tailed gulls, marine iguanas, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos fur seals and a number of other birds and mammals. The most northern major island in the Galápagos, at one time Isla Pinta"
"is considered extinct. The last known specimen, named Lonesome George, died in captivity on 24 June 2012; George had been mated with female tortoises of several other species, but none of the eggs from these pairings hatched. The species inhabiting Floreana Island (""G. nigra"") is thought to have been hunted to extinction by 1850, only 15 years after Charles Darwin's landmark visit of 1835, when he saw shells, but no live tortoises there. The existence of the ""C. phantastica"" species of Fernandina Island is disputed, as it was described from a single specimen that may have been an artificial introduction"
"of which could still be alive on Isabela Island. The Pinta Island species (""C. abingdonii"", now extinct) has been found to be most closely related to the species on the islands of San Cristóbal (""C. chathamensis"") and Española (""C. hoodensis"") which lie over 300 km (190 mi) away, rather than that on the neighbouring island of Isabela as previously assumed. This relationship is attributable to dispersal by the strong local current from San Cristóbal towards Pinta. This discovery informed further attempts to preserve the ""C. abingdonii"" lineage and the search for an appropriate mate for Lonesome George, which had been"
"the original 15 survive in the wild; an 11th species (""Chelonoidis abingdonii"") had only a single known living individual, kept in captivity and nicknamed Lonesome George until his death in June 2012. Conservation efforts, beginning in the 20th century, have resulted in thousands of captive-bred juveniles being released onto their ancestral home islands, and the total number of the species is estimated to have exceeded 19,000 at the start of the 21st century. Despite this rebound, the species as a whole is classified as ""vulnerable"" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Galápagos Islands were discovered in 1535,"
"after him for 40 years. Naula suspected that the cause of death was cardiac arrest. A necropsy confirmed that George died from natural causes. The body of Lonesome George was frozen and shipped to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to be preserved by taxidermists. The preservation work was carried out by the museum's taxidermist George Dante, with input from scientists. After a short display at the museum, it was expected that Lonesome George would be returned to the Galápagos and displayed at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island for future generations to"
"became extinct by human exploitation in the 19th century. Another species, ""C. abingdonii"", became extinct on 24 June 2012 with the death in captivity of the last remaining specimen, a male named Lonesome George, the world's ""rarest living creature"". All the other surviving species are listed by the IUCN as at least ""Vulnerable"" in conservation status, if not worse. An estimated 200,000 animals were taken before the 20th century. The relatively immobile and defenceless tortoises were collected and stored live on board ships, where they could survive for at least a year without food or water (some anecdotal reports suggest"
"the decades, all attempts at mating Lonesome George had been unsuccessful. This prompted researchers at the Darwin Station to offer a $10,000 reward for a suitable mate. Until January 2011, George was penned with two females of the species ""Chelonoidis becki"" (from the Wolf Volcano region of Isabela Island), in the hope his genotype would be retained in any resulting progeny. This species was then thought to be genetically closest to George's; however, any potential offspring would have been hybrids, not purebreds of the Pinta subspecies. In July 2008, George mated with one of his female companions. Thirteen eggs were"
"fresh meat for their long voyages by storing live giant tortoises in the holds of their ships, massive exploitation of the species began. Tortoises were also exploited for their oil, which was used to light the lamps of Quito. Two centuries of exploitation resulted in the loss of between 100,000 and 200,000 tortoises. Three species have been extinct for some time, and a fourth species lost its last member, Lonesome George, in June 2012. It is estimated that 20,000–25,000 wild tortoises live on the islands today. Galapagos tortoises are herbivorous, feeding primarily on cactus pads, grasses, and native fruit. They"
"slopes of the volcano, away from the more recent lava flows where there is denser vegetation. However, tortoise subspecies from many different Galapagos islands have been abandoned at Wolf Volcano by ships which at one time collected the tortoise as a food source. ""C. n. becki"" is threatened due to population pressures such as predation by feral cats. During a 2008 survey of over 1600 specimens on Wolf Volcano, all morphologies of tortoise were found, including two that in shape are similar to Lonesome George. DNA studies of these specimens are currently being undertaken. In 2009, a new species of"
"viewers renamed him George. In 1988 George caused a scare when the home where he was kept had a break-in and he went missing. Thinking he had been killed, the production team broadcast a special tribute film about him, but George was found by a neighbour walking her dog some days later. George made his last appearance on the show on 14 April 2004, and his death was announced on 10 May 2004. Shelley (hatched c. 1985, Morocco) is a female Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise who first appeared on the programme in 2004 as a friend to George and then became"
"adulthood, before release onto their native ranges. The most significant population recovery was that of the Española tortoise (""C. hoodensis""), which was saved from near-certain extinction. The population had been depleted to three males and 12 females that had been so widely dispersed that no mating in the wild had occurred. Fruitless attempts to breed one of the tortoises, Lonesome George for example, is speculated to be attributed to a lack of postnatal cues, and confusion over which would be the most appropriate genetic species would be the most appropriate to mate him with on the islands. The 15 remaining"
"(two being females), but those attempts at insemination failed. It was suspected that Angalifu was ""too old"" to reproduce. Angalifu died from old age on December 14, 2014. Angalifu Angalifu (pronounced ""ang-uh-LEEF-oo""; c. 1970 – December 14, 2014) was a captive northern white rhinoceros held at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. At the time of his death, he was one of six living northern white rhinoceroses in the world, one of two living males in the world, and the only male on the American continents. He was outlived by male Sudan and females Najin and Fatu. Angalifu was born"
"Rodrigues solitaire The Rodrigues solitaire (""Pezophaps solitaria"") is an extinct, flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Genetically within the family of pigeons and doves, it was most closely related to the also extinct dodo of Mauritius, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae. The Nicobar pigeon is their closest living genetic relative. Rodrigues solitaires grew to the size of swans, and demonstrated pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males were much larger than females and measured up to in length and in weight, contrasting with and for females. Its plumage was grey and"
"observations of the bird in life. Rodrigues solitaire The Rodrigues solitaire (""Pezophaps solitaria"") is an extinct, flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Genetically within the family of pigeons and doves, it was most closely related to the also extinct dodo of Mauritius, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae. The Nicobar pigeon is their closest living genetic relative. Rodrigues solitaires grew to the size of swans, and demonstrated pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males were much larger than females and measured up to in length and in weight, contrasting with and for"
"Angalifu Angalifu (pronounced ""ang-uh-LEEF-oo""; c. 1970 – December 14, 2014) was a captive northern white rhinoceros held at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. At the time of his death, he was one of six living northern white rhinoceroses in the world, one of two living males in the world, and the only male on the American continents. He was outlived by male Sudan and females Najin and Fatu. Angalifu was born in the wild circa 1970 before being caught and sent to the Khartoum Zoo in Khartoum, Sudan. In 1990, he was transferred on loan to the San Diego"
"genetic evidence. In 2014, DNA of the only known specimen of the recently extinct spotted green pigeon (""Caloenas maculata"") was analysed, and it was found to be a close relative of the Nicobar pigeon, and thus also the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. The 2002 study indicated that the ancestors of the Rodrigues solitaire and the dodo diverged around the Paleogene-Neogene boundary. The Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues), are of volcanic origin and are less than 10 million years old. Therefore, the ancestors of both birds probably remained capable of flight for a considerable time after the separation of their"
"behavioural and morphological evidence, Jolyon C. Parish proposed that the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire should be placed in the subfamily Gourinae along with the ""Groura"" pigeons and others, in agreement with the genetic evidence. In 2014, DNA of the only known specimen of the recently extinct spotted green pigeon (""Caloenas maculata"") was analysed, and it was found to be a close relative of the Nicobar pigeon, and thus also the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. The 2002 study indicated that the ancestors of the dodo and the solitaire diverged around the Paleogene-Neogene boundary. The Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues), are"
"George (dog) George ( – 29 April 2007) was a Jack Russell Terrier from New Zealand who was posthumously awarded a PDSA Gold Medal in February 2009. He defended children from an attack by two pit bulls but subsequently died of his injuries. On Sunday, 29 April 2007, George was playing with a group of five children, aged between three and twelve years of age, in the small Taranaki town of Manaia. As they returned home from a local shop, they were set upon by a pair of pit bulls. George intervened between the two other dogs and the children."
"Wildlife Conservation's ""Search for Lost Species"" initiative. Wellington's solitary coral Wellington's solitary coral (""Rhizopsammia wellingtoni"") is an endemic species of coral from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, recorded between underwater. Before 1982, this species was considered abundant at some sites, but the El Niño event of 1982 and 1983 destroyed most colonies of this species, except for two populations. But since 2000, scientists have not found any even at those two sites, indicating that the species is particularly sensitive to changes in the temperature of water in which they live. This coral species is among the 25 ""most wanted lost"""
"George Dog Island George Dog is an uninhabited island of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It is located in a smaller sub-group of islands referred to as ""The Dogs"" (which include Little Seal Dog Island and West Dog Island) to the northwest of Virgin Gorda. On the north west side of the island is a popular diving site known as ""Bronco Billy"", so named because of the surge which carries divers through a box canyon is thought to be similar to riding a bucking Bronco (it is believed that the name pre-dated the 1980 film of the same"
"Dodo The dodo (""Raphus cucullatus"") is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest genetic relative was the also extinct Rodrigues solitaire, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae of the family of pigeons and doves. The closest living relative of the dodo is the Nicobar pigeon. A white dodo was once thought to have existed on the nearby island of Réunion, but this is now thought to have been confusion based on the Réunion ibis and paintings of white dodos. Subfossil remains show the dodo was"
"children attend. Vietnam War veteran Jerrell Hudman proposed that he would send one of the three Purple Hearts he was awarded during his military service to honour George's memory, describing the dog as ""a little warrior"". His memory was commemorated with a bronze statue in Manaia, Taranaki, New Zealand. In 2009, George was posthumously awarded a PDSA Gold Medal (which has been called the animal equivalent of the George Cross) by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. His owner was presented with the medal by Governor-General Anand Satyanand in a ceremony at Manaia. George (dog) George ( – 29 April"
"Flightless cormorant The flightless cormorant (""Phalacrocorax harrisi""), also known as the Galapagos cormorant, is a cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. Once it was placed in its own genus, ""Nannopterum"" or ""Compsohalieus"", although current taxonomy places it in the genus with most of the other cormorants, ""Phalacrocorax"". Like all cormorants, this bird has webbed feet and powerful legs that propel it through ocean waters as it seeks its prey of fish, eels, small octopuses,"
"Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Lota, Moreton Bay Islands and Enoggera Reservoir. She took a trip to Cape York, leaving Melbourne by boat a year later on 12 March 1959. Whilst on Fisherman Island on 1 December 1959, Gillham discovered a species of seal yet to be seen on the island; during a four-day trip around the Jurien Bay islands (Favorite island, a satellite of Long island, Fisherman island and Cervantes island). Once back in Melbourne, the discovery sparked debate between scientists at the Royal Society of Victoria symposium, with some insisting them to be fur seals and others believing them"
"bond with him. It goes without saying that he is particularly devastated by the loss along with the rest of his keeping team who have cared for Nico over the years."" Nico (gorilla) Nico (July 1961 – 7 January 2018) was a Western lowland gorilla who lived in captivity at Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire, UK. At the time of his death, at 56 years old, he was the oldest Western lowland gorilla in Europe and was thought to be the second oldest gorilla in the world. Nico's habitat on Half Mile Lake at Longleat covered over half an acre and"
"of three recently extinct species from Madagascar. ""C. madagascariensis"" was the same size as ""C. liberiensis"" and shared its terrestrial behavior, inhabiting the forested highlands of Madagascar, rather than open rivers. It is believed to have gone extinct within the last 500 years. The taxonomy of the genus of the pygmy hippopotamus has changed as understanding of the animal has developed. Samuel G. Morton initially classified the animal as ""Hippopotamus minor"", but later determined it was distinct enough to warrant its own genus, and labeled it ""Choeropsis"". In 1977, Shirley C. Coryndon proposed that the pygmy hippopotamus was closely related"
"Wellington's solitary coral Wellington's solitary coral (""Rhizopsammia wellingtoni"") is an endemic species of coral from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, recorded between underwater. Before 1982, this species was considered abundant at some sites, but the El Niño event of 1982 and 1983 destroyed most colonies of this species, except for two populations. But since 2000, scientists have not found any even at those two sites, indicating that the species is particularly sensitive to changes in the temperature of water in which they live. This coral species is among the 25 ""most wanted lost"" species that are the focus of Global"
"died in 2001. Panama died of natural causes in 2013. In 2012, Indy, a young male, died leaving Nicholas to be the last male. CMA has rescued a large amount of sea turtles such as Abe, Orchid, Alice, Cooper, among other names. CMA once rescued a young sperm whale named George. Due to his apparent illnesses, George died 43 days after rescue. Clearwater Marine Aquarium's expansion will allow the rescue and rehabilitation of more marine life, create an enhanced living habitat for the resident non-releasable animals, and provide more space for guests. The expansion will include tripling rescued dolphin habitat"
"primarily in the island's woodlands, rather than on the shores. Many other of the endemic species of Rodrigues became extinct after the arrival of man, so the ecosystem of the island is heavily damaged. Before humans arrived, forests covered the island entirely, but very little remains today due to deforestation. The Rodrigues solitaire lived alongside other recently extinct birds such as the Rodrigues rail, the Rodrigues parrot, Newton's parakeet, the Rodrigues starling, the Rodrigues owl, the Rodrigues night heron, and the Rodrigues pigeon. Extinct reptiles include the domed Rodrigues giant tortoise, the saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise, and the Rodrigues day"
"move the zoo's last elephant, Billy, to the Northern California sanctuary. Gita (elephant) Gita was a 48-year-old Asian Elephant who died at the Los Angeles Zoo on 10 June 2006. Gita's death prompted dozens of animal rights activists, including In Defense of Animals, to accuse the zoo of neglecting and endangering its animals by placing them in unsatisfactory living conditions, and fueled a years-long debate in the city government over the ethics of keeping elephants in a zoo at all. Gita came to the Los Angeles Zoo from India in 1959. She was the most placid of the zoo's elephants,"
"to watch during their six-month quarantine period. Longleat Safari announced Nico's death on 8 January 2018 in an official statement on their social media channels"" It is with deep regret and huge sadness that we have to announce the death of Nico, our much-loved western lowland gorilla. Nico, who was one of the oldest silverback gorillas in the world, passed away in his sleep on 7 January 2018. Everyone here has been truly saddened by the death of Nico. His main keeper has been working with Nico virtually on a daily basis since 1989 and has forged an extraordinarily close"
"including the pheasant pigeon and the thick-billed ground pigeon at the base of the clade. Based on behavioural and morphological evidence, Jolyon C. Parish proposed that the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire should be placed in the Gourinae subfamily along with the ""Goura"" pigeons and others, in agreement with the genetic evidence. In 2014, DNA of the only known specimen of the recently extinct spotted green pigeon (""Caloenas maculata"") was analysed, and it was found to be a close relative of the Nicobar pigeon, and thus also the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. For many years the dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire"
"in his sleep in his bed of eucalyptus leaves at the Sanctuary's rehabilitation centre on December 17, 2008, aged 66. Gregoire was known around the world as an old chimpanzee, appearing on the cover of ""National Geographic"" magazine in 1995, in a BBC special, and in an Animal Planet film, ""Jane Goodall's Return to Gombe"". Gregoire (chimpanzee) Gregoire (c. 1942 – December 17, 2008) was, up until his death, Africa's oldest known chimpanzee. For the last eleven years of his life, he was a resident of the Tchimpounga Sanctuary (part of the Jane Goodall Institute) in the Republic of the"