NEARLY 183,000 GIANT TORTOISES — THIS REMOTE ISLAND IS HOME TO MORE TORTOISES THAN PEOPLE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY

A remarkable wildlife discovery is drawing attention to one of the world’s most extraordinary conservation success stories.

On Aldabra Atoll, a remote group of islands belonging to Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, researchers estimate that nearly 183,000 adult and subadult giant tortoises roam freely. That is more than the country’s human population, estimated at around 135,000.

The findings come from a study led by the Seychelles Islands Foundation and the University of Exeter, based on five years of monitoring data collected between 2018 and 2022.

A SPECIES THAT CAME CLOSE TO DISAPPEARING

Today’s numbers are especially remarkable because Aldabra’s giant tortoises once faced a very different future.

During the 19th century, heavy exploitation reduced their population to fewer than 1,000 animals. Their survival was far from guaranteed.

Decades of protection and conservation work helped the population recover. Aldabra became a protected nature reserve in 1981 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

Researchers say the latest estimate is the most comprehensive atoll-wide assessment of the population to date. They also caution that older surveys may have underestimated the number of tortoises because many animals were hidden in dense vegetation or shaded areas.

The new estimate therefore reflects both genuine population recovery and improved methods of counting the animals.

WHY ALDABRA IS SO SPECIAL

Aldabra is one of only two places in the world where giant tortoises live in the wild, the other being the Galápagos Islands.

These slow-moving reptiles play an important role in their environment, helping shape vegetation and disperse seeds. Their presence is part of what makes Aldabra’s ecosystem so distinctive.

However, conservationists warn that the work is not over. Climate change, longer droughts, rising sea levels and invasive animals such as feral cats and black rats continue to threaten the fragile ecosystem, particularly tortoise eggs and hatchlings.

A REMINDER THAT CONSERVATION CAN WORK

The discovery offers a powerful example of what sustained environmental protection can achieve. A population that once fell to dangerously low numbers has rebounded to an estimated 183,000 adult and subadult animals.

But scientists emphasize that the latest count is a baseline for future monitoring, not a reason to stop protecting the species.

For Aldabra’s giant tortoises, the next challenge is ensuring that this remarkable recovery continues for generations to come.

Sources:

1. PEOPLE:
2. University of Exeter / Phys.org:
3. Seychelles Islands Foundation: