100 Year Old Hero Tortoise Returns to Galapagos Islands to Retire

Diego and 14 other male Tortoise have been returned to Española, in the Galápagos Islands. Diego isn't just any Tortoise though, he was part of a successful breeding program that has managed to save his entire species.

It has been estimated that Diego has fathered around 40% of the 2,000 giant Tortoises alive today.

The Ecuador Environment Minister Paulo Proaño Andrade said "We are closing an important Chapter" and that it was an "end of an era"

Welcomed Back With Open Arms

The Galápagos Islands are welcoming back Diego and 14 other Tortoise to enjoy their retirement, and with Tortoise living an estimated 150 years, they still have plenty of time to enjoy their natural habitat.

Galápagos is a Unesco World Heritage site that is around 600 miles west of mainland Ecuador. It has played a key role in Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and has an incredible array of animals and marine life such as Iguanas and Tortoise.