He was just a giant tortoise, the last one of his kind

January 11, 2015 11:30 AM

Lonesome George (a musical memorial), from NPR's Skunkbear

Lonesome George (1910 - 2012) lived on Pinta Island in the Galapagos. Despite efforts of conservationists to find him a mate from a closely-related subspecies, George left no offspring behind. His preserved remains, as featured in the video above, are housed in the American Museum of Natural History.

(Previously)

posted by Narrative Priorities (6 comments total)

Don't mind me, someone must be chopping onions in the next room...
posted by naturalog at 12:09 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

This makes me super sad.
posted by PinkMoose at 3:06 PM on January 11, 2015

.
posted by dashDashDot at 3:39 PM on January 11, 2015

His preserved remains, as featured in the video above, are housed in the American Museum of Natural History.

While he was taxidermied at AMNH, "Lonesome George [was] on view for a limited time at the Museum before being returned to Ecuador."
posted by frijole at 5:40 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'd always thought turtles and tortoises were cool, but it wasn't until we adopted/rescued a Malayan box turtle last summer that I *got* turtles (we tend to rescue cats, lots and lots of cats). They are so prehistoric in their design, so ancient in their demeanor - you can't help but be awed by their simplicity and grace. (Yes, grace.) Two different people posted this on my FB wall today, and I watched it both times, and both times it made me cry.

. indeed.
posted by flyingsquirrel at 6:53 PM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

That's my sister in the backing vocals! She confirms that "yes it is really sad."
posted by librarina at 9:20 PM on January 11, 2015 [3 favorites]