Famous Diego, a Galapagos giant which is over 100 years old has single-handedly saved his species from extinction. Diego has fathered 800 babies over the years, turning the tide for his species on the island of Espanola in the Galapagos islands, off the coast of South America.
‘He’s a very sexually active male reproducer. He’s contributed enormously to repopulating the island,’ said Washington Tapia, a tortoise preservation specialist at Galapagos National Park.
There were only two males and 12 females on the island 50 years ago before Diego.
Diego now lives at a tortoise breeding center on nearby Santa Cruz island where he is still mating with his harem of six females.
‘We did a genetic study and we discovered that he was the father of nearly 40 percent of the offspring released into the wild on Espanola,’ the specialist added.