The Fernandina Giant Tortoise was thought to have become extinct more than 100 years ago until this adult female was discovered by conservationists on the Galapagos island of Fernandina on February 17, 2019 AFPIn captivity, the giant tortoises can easily live to more than 100 yearsConservationists in the Galapagos Islands have found a giant tortoise from a species thought to have become extinct more than a century ago. The adult female tortoise was found on the island of Fernandina in the west of the Pacific archipelago, and is believed to be a Fernandina Giant Tortoise, also known as Chelonoidis phantasticus, a species last sighted in 1906. Ecuador's Environment Minister Marcelo Mata announced on Twitter the discovery of a specimen "of the tortoise species Chelonoidis phantasticus, which was believed to have gone extinct more than 100 years ago." It is one of 15 known species of giant tortoises in the Galapagos, at least two of which have already vanished. Giant tortoises are believed to have arrived on the remote volcanic island chain about three to four million years ago, borne by ocean currents.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 22, 2019 02:48 UTC