A Dad at 90

At the remote Galapagos island, 90-year-old George is soon to become a dad.

At the remote Galapagos island, made famous by Charles Darwin’s research, the stork has come visiting. The dad to be is 90 and his name is George, a Galapagos giant tortoise. At that age, males of the species are said to be in their “sexual prime”.

For the sake of variety, one assumes, George had the company of two female tortoises, who he made suitable use of. The eggs hatch in 120 days. According to reports, Galapagos Tortoises, among the species Charles Darwin observed to formulate his theory of evolution in the 19th century, were hunted for their meat by sailors and fishermen to the point of extinction. Their habitat has also been eaten away by goats introduced from the mainland. Some 20,000 giant tortoises still live on the Galapagos, and are now subject to a determined conservation effort.

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