For the first time in more than 150 years, giant tortoises are returning to the wild on Floreana Island in the Galápagos—guided by NASA satellite data that helps scientists discover where the animals can find food, water and nesting habitat.
The effort, a collaboration between the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Galápagos Conservancy, marks a key milestone in restoring tortoise populations to one of the most ecologically distinctive archipelagos on Earth.
On Floreana Island, tortoises disappeared in the mid-1800s after heavy hunting by whalers and the introduction of new predators such as pigs and rats, which consumed tortoise eggs and hatchlings. Without the tortoises, the island began to change. Across the Galápagos, giant tortoises historically helped shape the landscape by grazing vegetation, opening pathways through dense plant growth and carrying seeds across islands.
The accompanying map shows modeled giant tortoise habitat suitability across the Galápagos under current environmental conditions, with colors ranging from low to high, indicating increasing likelihood of suitable food, moisture, and nesting habitat availability.
Image Credit: Wanmei Liang/NASA Earth Observatory
