Diego_19 May 2026

: Thanks to Diego and the breeding program, the wild population has grown to over 2,000 individuals .

Diego is a centenarian tortoise of the species Chelonoidis hoodensis , native to Española Island. In the 1960s, his species was on the absolute brink of extinction with only in the wild. diego_19

: In 1977, he was returned to a breeding center on Santa Cruz Island. Over the next four decades, he fathered an estimated 800 to 900 offspring , single-handedly accounting for nearly 40% of the repopulation effort. : Thanks to Diego and the breeding program,

: Diego was originally taken from the Galápagos in the early 20th century and spent decades at the San Diego Zoo. : In 1977, he was returned to a

: In June 2020, Diego officially "retired" from the program and was released back onto his native Española Island to live out his remaining years in the wild. Other Notable "Diegos"