The centenarian reptile, perhaps best known for his reticence to mate, was the last giant tortoise of his kind.
If there’s a giant tortoise heaven, Lonesome George is lonesome no more.
The century-old giant tortoise was found dead in his corral Sunday at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island (map), part of Galápagos National Park.
Perhaps best known for his apparent aversion to female tortoises—hence his nickname—George was the last known individual of his subspecies, Geochelone abingdoni, also called the Pinta Island tortoise or Abingdon Island tortoise.