Galapagos: George five years have passed since his decease and his embalmed body attracts visitors

And although the legacy of Diego, the turtle of the Chelonoidis hoodensis species that helped to repopulate the Spanish island, is shown with a great photograph on one of the trails, a group of tourists has heard more of Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta Island that died on June 25, 2012.

The emblematic embalmed animal is exhibited at the Centro de Crianza Fausto Llerena, in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz) since last February when it arrived from New York. An expert taxidermist tried to perpetuate it, with his neck erect and his legs elongated.

Six minutes to see George

Data from the Management of the Galapagos National Park indicate that since the opening of the exhibition in the new house of George, 31,598 people have been able to observe the embalmed turtle and to cross the Route of the Turtle. Of these visitors, 23,406 were foreigners (74%) and 8,192 nationals (26%). (I)