Lonesome George Dies

Lonesome George, believed to be the last subspecies of the Galapagos Tortoise, dies at an estimated age of 100. Scientists are doing tests to determine the cause of his death. The death was very strange since it should have died at the age of 200. With no offspring or other females to mate with, Lonesome George was the rarest animal on Earth.

These tortoises used to be thriving until the 1900's. poachers killed the tortoises for their meat. They were soon critically endangered. Laws were put up to protect the tortoise, and they used to have other tortoises to breed with Lonesome George, but none of the were successful.

The last of the Pinta Tortoises are gone. 

But, we still have time to rescue all of the

other endangered animals of the world

(see "Animals That Could go Extinct in 2012)

Even though Lonesome George is gone, we still remember 

how great, he was to the Animal World.