Feud Erupts Between Ecuador and Galapagos Islands Over Dead Tortoise
Back in June 2012, a tortoise died. That is, in and of itself, kind of newsworthy, given that giant tortoises have a lifespan of well over 100 years; the oldest one, the un-creatively named Jonathan, is still kicking at 182. But the death of Lonesome George was particularly sad, given that the old fellow was believed to be the last of his kind, a Pinta Island subspecies of Galapagos tortoise. He wasn't, by tortoise standards, all that old; according to PBS, George had barely broken 100 when he died in Galápagos National Park, and park officials said they'd investigate his cause of death. (They ultimately determined he'd probably perished from natural causes.) But now, two years later, a serious disagreement has broken out over what remains of George.
The tortoise's afterlife has been eventful: just after his death, scientists preserved some of his cells as part of an effort to one day clone him. This summer, he was taxidermied and flown to New York. You can currently see him sitting very, very still at the Museum of Natural History.
But in 2015, George will leave New York. The Galapagos Islands, which are a part of Ecuador, are arguing that it's only right that the old boy return to them, the place where he lived out his days. But Ecuadorian officials are refusing, saying he's best displayed in the captial of Quito where, according to the BBC, "he could be seen by the maximum amount of visitors and where the exhibit could be kept in suitable conditions to maintain its preservation for many years." The mayor of Santa Cruz, the Galapagos' largest city, called the decision "outrageous."
Guardian journalist Henry Nicholls, who's written extensively about George and seems quite attached to the old dead tortoise, is calling for a compromise: send him on a world tour, then let Lonesome rest... somewhere. That part still hasn't quite been settled. In any case, he'll remain at the museum until January, in case you've ever wanted to see an old, stuffed, dead tortoise.
[Image by Allison Llerena via the Charles Darwin Foundation]