The deaths of four Galápagos tortoises sparked an investigation by Ecuadorian authorities, who suspect the gentle giants may have been killed for their meat.
A special unit specializing in crimes against the environment and wildlife has launched a preliminary investigation into the alleged “hunt and slaughter” of four giant tortoises found in the wetland complex of Galápagos National Park, according to a tweet sent by the State’s Attorney General last week.
The Galápagos Conservancy said in a statement that the Ecuadorian State Attorney General thinks the giant tortoises may have been hunted for their meat.
#ATENCIÓN | #FiscalíaEc abrió una investigación previa para indagar los hechos relacionados a la presunta caza y faenamiento de cuatro tortugas terrestres gigantes, en el Complejo de Humedales del Parque Nacional #Galápagos. #FiscalíaContraElDelito pic.twitter.com/gMpTNy3jQU
— Fiscalía Ecuador (@FiscaliaEcuador) August 29, 2022
This startling news comes less than a year after the remains of 15 slaughtered Chelonoidis guntheri tortoises were found in a remote area of the Sierra Negra Volcano in Galápagos National Park. Once again, these giant tortoises are suspected to have been killed for their meat or shells.
There are currently 15 different species of giant tortoises in the Galapagos, most of them threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List.
When Charlies Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands in the 1830s and was inspired by his landmark book The Origin of Species, the giant tortoises were far more numerous. However, their numbers have steadily decreased over the past 200 years.
The emergence of invasive species has played a strong role in the decline in turtle numbers, but the most important factor has been poaching by whalers and sailors visiting the island. These slow-moving beasts were extremely easy to hunt, and unfortunately, humans had a great appetite for their meat.
It is also known that Darwin and the crew of the HMS Beagle threw their empty shells into the sea during their voyage and immersed themselves in the flavor of giant turtles.
William Dampier, a 17th-century English pirate based in the Galápagos, said the islands’ giant tortoises were “extraordinarily large and fat and just as sweet, that no pulley tasted sweeter than this,” while French explorer François Leguat said their meat “tasted like mutton.” ” said that.
While populations of many Galapagos giant tortoise species are increasing thanks to conservation measures, some people seem unwilling to learn from our reckless past.
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