100-Year-Old Turtle Saves His Species

The giant tortoises on Espanola in the Galapagos Islands were facing an extinction problem: at one point, just two males and 12 females remained of the species.

So directors at The Galapagos National Parks called in help, having the San Diego Zoo ship over one of their more randy turtles to repopulate.

Thanks to the efforts of Diego during the last 50 years, the tortoises now number over 2,000, with the 100-year-old fathering around 40-percent of the inhabitants.

Reportedly, Diego is being retired. However, James P. Gibbs, SUNY Syracuse professor of environmental and forest biology, tells The Washington Post that he’s still got plenty left, noting, “He might actually amp it up”.

Which other animal populations are in need of rescue?